The Will of the Secret
by Clickgeniera
Summary: This story is the continuation of "The Missing Name", and now Zorro, after using magic to hide his identity, will have to face the effects that the spell has had on the people he loves.
1. The secret doesnt want to be revealed

_This story begins just after the last episode of the series, and is a continuation of The Missing Name. In case someone doesn't want to read the first story I'm going to include a summary, but if you're going to read it, I suggest you do it now and don't keep reading the introduction._

_The Missing Name begins with Diego de la Vega as a child who can see ghosts and has premonitions. His mother supports him, but his father wants him to hide it, so she decides to take Diego to the Indian village where the child can learn from the shaman. He also learns to track, ride horses and fight, all behind his father's back. When his mother dies in childbirth, Diego realizes that his mother and the girl are still in the house, although he ignores the motive. Don Alejandro decides that Diego should receive the sacrament of Confirmation to prevent his gift from continuing to manifest itself._

_Even though his abilities are blocked he is still able to see his guiding spirit, which of course is a fox._

_As an adult, he travels to Spain, where he began his academic and fencing studies. He also meets a group of people interested in Esoterism, who have different gifts. One of them, Francisca, is medium. They rescue Diego when a man catches him and tries to use his abilities for his own benefit. Francisca in addition to helping him with his vision becomes his lover. The group disintegrates when two of them, including Francisca, flee Spain._

_Through a ghost, a woman named Agueda, Diego learns that the man who captured him is going to perform a ritual sacrifice. He decides to intervene and with the help of the ghost and strengthened by the prayers of a large number of religious, manages to sabotage the invocation and rescue the girl. As a reward for his help, Agueda becomes an angel under St. Michael's command._

_One of the things he learns is to use a gift he already had since he was born. It is a magic veil, a spell that properly used distracts the attention of those around him. Francisca warns him that the more he uses it with a person, the more powerful the spell becomes. She also tells him that amber-eyed creatures can see through that spell, setting an example to her cat, which is also her familiar, that is, an animal that helps her with her magic._

_When Diego returns to California he decides to become Zorro and use his veil to protect himself, Felipe, and his horse Tornado, which also becomes his familiar. Over time both the boy and the horse learn to use some of Diego's magic in unexpected ways._

_Diego contacts his mother and learns that his sister is unable to move on. He manages to find out her name, and finally helps their father to overcome his pain. He recognizes that he is not angry with her neither he blames her for his wife's death. The girl leaves, but Diego's mother knows there's still business to be resolved and stays._

_Don Alejandro tells Diego that a woman tried to take him when he was just born, and that he believes she wanted to exchange him for another baby with a birthmark on his leg. The woman managed to flee with the other child._

**Chapter 1. The secret that doesn't want to be revealed.**

Don Alejandro said to Diego. "Do you remember when Gilberto was just about to shoot you? He said he was not only going to kill you, he was going to kill. . . Then he never finished. What do you suppose he was going to say?"

Diego turned to his father.

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, Father. Gilberto discovered something I've been hiding since I got back from Spain." His father looked at him a strangely, but he didn't interrupt him. Diego felt his mouth dry. It always seemed to him that he had left too much courage to Zorro and too little to Diego. At last he spoke softly.

"Father, I am Zorro."

When he said it, for a moment all the five-pointed stars that he and Felipe had been engraving in different places around the square for years seemed to shine in his mind with silvery light.

"Excuse me Diego. What did you say? I didn't understand anything."

Diego felt a little confused. "I am Zorro!" he repeated a little higher. The stars shined again.

"Why do you talk like that, is it a joke?"

"Father. Don't you understand what I'm saying?"

"Now I do, when you speak clearly. What did you want to tell me?"

"Can you come with me for a moment?" They both approached Felipe and Victoria. Diego instructed his father to stand next to her, and looking at them he said clearly. "I am Zorro."

Felipe squealed, astonished, but the other two looked at him bewildered. The stars shone so brightly that for a moment Diego was stunned.

"Are you speaking French?" she asked.

His father touched his forehead with a preoccupied expression. "I think everything that's happened today is affecting you. We should go home so you can rest."

"Yes, I suppose it will be best." Diego agreed. They said goodbye to Victoria, who looked at them curiously, and rode their horses.

On the way Diego turned to Felipe to say, "I have decided to tell my father something and I would like you to join us." For every answer Felipe smiled.

As they returned home he decided to try to tell him a piece and leave the rest for later, when he could find out what was going on. "In Spain I did learn to fight, I was a pupil of Master Kendall. I've been practicing in the hacienda in secret and I'd like to show you the place I chose to exercise".

Don Alejandro seemed to understand it correctly. "Why did you hide something like that from me?"

"Because there's something else, and it has to do with the abilities I inherited from my mother."

Don Alejandro seemed dazed. "I don't understand what it has to do with you fighting with your dreams and visions."

"I can explain if you want, but you have to make the decision. Are you sure you want to know?"

Don Alejandro hesitated, and saw something in his son that he had not seen before. He seemed expectant, so he decided to put aside his doubts and talk to him. "I'm sure. I want to know."

When they arrived at the hacienda and after leaving the horses, Diego led his father to the library. They looked at each other for a moment and Don Alejandro wanted to cheer him up. "Go ahead, son. I'm ready."

Diego took a deep breath and began to speak. "In Spain I learned to fight, but not only with the sword. I also met several people who knew certain secrets and taught me how to use one of my gifts. When I arrived from Spain, the alcalde locked you and Victoria. I went to talk to him telling him the gentlemen wouldn't tolerate it. He replied that if they organized, he would know that I had been the cause and that he would lock me up too. Then I realized that if I acted, you and I would pay the consequences, and that I would have to face him without being able to identify me. I've been sneaking around ever since."

Don Alejandro looked at him, surprised. "You mean you've been helping Zorro?"

Diego sighed. "Not exactly father, I am Zorro."

Diego couldn't help but smile at seeing his father shook his head almost imperceptibly. His mind refused to assimilate it. Don Alejandro looked at him between fascinated and skeptical. "Not that I want to distrust you, but it's all very strange." After a break he added, "Son, you don't have to compare yourself to someone like him. You fight too in your own way."

Diego looked at Felipe. "It seems he´s having a hard time believing me. It was to be expected." Felipe shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the chimney.

"Did Felipe already know?" asked Don Alejandro surprised.

"He knew it from the beginning," Diego replied. "He has helped me many times."

Diego turned to Felipe. "If you're so kind."

Felipe pressed the chimney spring that activated the mechanism, exposing the entrance to the cave.

"Here's what I wanted to show you."

Don Alejandro's face reflected more astonished than ever before. "It's the secret exit my grandfather made. I thought the mechanism was broken."

"It was." Diego replied. "I discovered it years ago and managed to fix it, but I decided to keep it a secret."

Diego walked through the door, followed by Don Alejandro, but Felipe stayed in the library to let them talk alone. As he went down the stairs, Don Alejandro saw the table with the chemicals, the hanger with the clothes and the mask, and Tornado. For a few moments he ran out of words. Finally, he asked. "Is it Zorro Cave?"

Diego recalled what he was told about the magic veil and put the mask in his father´s hands, knowing that physical contact would help him understand it. He slowly told him again. "Father, I am Zorro."

Don Alejandro breathed with difficulty. Diego helped him sit down.

"Then that's why you know fencing, because you've been practicing with Zorro here?" insisted the old man.

Diego put the saber in his hands. "It's Sir Edmund's saber. I won it when I was able to beat him in combat."

Don Alejandro looked at the saber and Diego alternately. Trying to figure it out. "It can't be!" he murmured.

Diego was worried. Finally he put on the mask and stood in front of him. "Do you know who I am?"

"You are Zorro."

"Well," he untied his knot and carried Don Alejandro's hands to the mask. He withdrew it with trembling hands. "Then. It's true? Are you really Zorro?"

Diego laughed, unable to contain himself. "I don't know what else to do to convince you."

His father didn't say anything else. With tears in his eyes he hugged him. After a minute in silence, he was finally able to speak again: "You are my son, and I have always loved you despite my disappointment when I thought you were not able to fight with the sword. I made up my mind that your gift was to fight with words and laws, but now I don't think I could be prouder of you. I just hope you'll forgive me for the times I've berated you for not acting. I even called you a coward!"

"No father, don't apologize. It's my fault for keeping this secret from you. I wanted to keep you safe, I thought I could hide it until justice was done, but I never imagined this would last that long. The truth is, I don't know when I can stop being Zorro."

"I still don't understand what this has to do with spirits."

"I use some magic to hide me. It makes anyone realize who I am when I wear the mask. If it wasn't for that trick, someone would have recognized me years ago. It works better over time, so I have to be more careful with the people who see me for the first time. I'm afraid I've used it too long with you."

Diego began to notice the tiredness accumulated throughout the day. He needed to eat something and retire, but first he had to take care of the wound on his arm. "Father. Can you call Felipe? I need his help with this."

"Sure, but I'll help you too."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I've been a soldier, I can do it."

While Don Alejandro went looking for Felipe, Diego took off his shirt and looked for a jar containing a clear liquid and clean cloths to wash the wound. They both went down the stairs and Diego sat down. Immediately Felipe stood by his side and began to remove the dried blood with a damp cloth.

Don Alejandro came to look and noticed something. "It's a gunshot wound. I thought Gilberto had wounded you with the sword."

"No, one of his men shot me."

"Couldn't your magic protect you?"

"As I told you, it works best with people who have long seen me as Zorro. It was the first time these men saw me, and the risk was greater."

"The wound is not deep. You'll be fine in a few days if it doesn't get infected, but it has to hurt quite a bit."

"Do you see that jar over there?" Diego said, pointing. "I need you to give me it. Also one of those bowls."

Diego poured some of the liquid and took it. He could not avoid a gesture of displeasure. In the questioning look of his father, he said "It's cactus tea. It dampens pain, but it also gives sleep. I'll have to go to bed early."

"Yes, it's been a long day."

Felipe was finishing cleaning the wound and wrapped his arm carefully.

"Father, before we go, I want to ask you something. I know it's hard for you, but I'd like you to consider it."

Diego spoke seriously, and Alejandro also responded with the same tone. "Tell me what you're up to."

"You mentioned a ritual my mother did, to find out if I was your son."

"You want to know if Gilberto was who that woman said he was."

Diego nodded.

"But your mother used two drops of blood." don Alejandro said.

"Felipe picked up a piece of bloodstained cloth. I can get a sample out of there, but it has to be now, before the blood degrades."

Don Alejandro looked the other way, without his eyes turning to any particular object.

"I think it's important to know," Diego said softly.

"I... I also need to find out." Don Alejandro said at last.

Diego got up from the chair and went to the shelf. He took a bowl of copper, a jar with a white substance and an incense rod. He then stretched out his left arm to reach one of the books, a thick tome with garnet-colored tops and yellowish leaves.

"Felipe, fill the bowl with water halfway."

Felipe did as he was asked. Meanwhile, Diego lit the incense with a match. When Felipe brought the water, Diego added the white grains, and after reciting a few words he read in the book he submerged a bloodstained cloth. The water was dyed red.

"I need a drop of your blood," he said, addressing Don Alejandro. He nodded and grabbed a small knife on the table, cutting his left ring finger. He dropped a drop of blood into the water, and they both saw it slowly dissolve.

Diego began to mutter a litany in a strange language, and staggered slightly, but before his father could reach him he had already regained his balance. When the volume of his voice increased the water in the bowl began to shake, and the reddish color concentrated on two tiny spheres, which were joined together and coagulated to deposit at the bottom of the bowl.

Don Alejandro knew what it meant, and closed his eyes, trying to control his pain.

"He was my brother." Diego confirmed.


	2. Family matters

**Chapter 2. Family matters.**

Diego opened his eyes and saw that he was in a huge room, with white marble floor. His mother was by his side.

"Where are we?" he asked, dazzled.

"In your brother's trial."

"Is this a dream?"

"In part it is."

When he thought about Gilberto he could see him, he was standing in front of a dais. Two men dressed in armor were on both sides, preventing him from escaping. When he looked right at them he could see two soldiers from a past time, but when he turned his sight, he seemed to see the silhouette of wings.

"Hola, Diego," said a familiar voice.

"Agueda, it's good to see you. I think you know my mother."

"Yes, we've talked a few times."

"What are we waiting for?" Diego asked.

"The verdict. He is charged with robbery, murder, and satanic practices."

As he turned his eyes to Gilberto he saw that there was a man in front of him. It looked about fifty years old. He spoke in a deep and stern voice.

"I declare that this man has been moved by envy, greed and pride. There is no repentance in him, and I sentence him to a thousand years in hell."

Diego's mother stepped forward. "I ask for the clemency of the court. I want to take some of his guilt. I didn't know how to protect him. I request an adjournment so he can repent. The woman who kidnapped him influenced him when he was innocent and I request the same time that woman had him away from me."

"Mother, don't sacrifice yourself for him." Diego begged.

The judge turned to them. "Come closer." he said in a voice capable of moving continents.

Both stood in front of him, a few yards from Gilberto.

"Do you also ask for clemency for him?" he said looking at Diego.

He turned to his mother, and then to Gilberto, who stood, stiff as a statue. He was tempted to say no, that he deserved the greatest of punishments, but he could not help thinking that his life had been full of hate, and he did not want to be like him.

"Are you sure?" he whispered ,looking at his mother. She nodded slightly.

"I also ask for clemency." he said.

His mother's serene expression barely changed, but she seemed to hint at a smile.

"Adjournment is granted. You'll have 26 years to teach him to repent. When the deadline is over, the trial will be repeated."

Gilberto turned to them with a smug smile. He tried to move, but he couldn't.

"You're under my control, you'll have to come with me," Doña Elena told him.

"You can make me follow you, but I will never admit that you are my mother."

She turned to Diego. "I must go back to him to relive the past, and then I think it will be time to be on my way. We may never see each other again during your life."

"I've had you all this time. I appreciate you being with me, and I hope you can get to him."

"It will be difficult, but I have to try. I owe him at least that." She looked at him and smiled, stroking his cheek. "I'm proud of you, and if you ever think it might do any good, tell your father that I love him, but if he finds a chance to be happy with someone, let him take advantage of it."

She and Gilberto vanished.

"Thank you for coming, Agueda."

"You're welcome. I know you're having trouble with your magic."

"Yes, it's been hard to tell my father. Now I must find a way for Victoria to believe me."

"You have given up something, and in return you will receive something. Have faith."

zzZzz

Diego was sleeping for almost fourteen hours straight. His father entered his room several times, worried about him, but although he seemed to have a bit of a fever, his breathing was normal, and he thought it best to let him still rest.

When he got up, he was numb and hungry, but he was better, and the fever was gone. After freshen up and dressing, he went to the kitchen to ask Maria, the cook, for something.

"You'll have to wait for lunch, Don Diego," she said without looking up from the stew she was stirring.

"Come on, I haven't had any breakfast."

"Because you haven't gotten up in time. You know, Don Diego, I've told you many times." she said, waving a spoon towards him.

"All right, I'll wait," Diego said, looking sorry, knowing that even though she was back in front of the stew, she was looking at him through the corner of her eye.

Maria left the stick spoon on the kitchen table and approached the loaf of bread she had covered with a cloth. She cut a slice and laid a piece of cheese on top of it. Diego caught them, but first gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you, you're a gem."

"Get out of my kitchen, smooth talker," she said, concealed a smile.

Diego went to the library, where Don Alejandro was trying to do some accounts, although he was loosing the plot every time.

"If you leave crumbs on the carpet you'll have to deal with Adela." said Alejandro.

Diego greeted his father. "Good morning, or rather, good afternoon."

"I suppose you find yourself more rested."

"Yes, I haven't slept a whole night in a while, and I don't remember sleeping so long often."

"You've definitely earned it."

"Thank you."

"I'd like to talk about what you've been doing these years," Said don Alejandro lowering his voice.

"Of course, but we'd better go to the cave to prevent anyone from accidentally listening to us. They may not understand what we are saying, but I'd rather not take any chances."

They went down the stairs together and don Alejandro looked around again, astonished at the amount of foreign objects that he accumulated there.

"Where's the horse?"

"Surely in the hills. He knows how to activate the mechanisms to get in and out of the cave."

"Someone could see him."

"I don't think so, my magic protects him too. Since he started going on his own, no one has seen him."

"I suppose it's true." he said with little conviction. "But it's hard to believe."

"It may seem strange, but the fact that it's hard to believe in this case makes things easier."

Don Alejandro stared around, pensive.

"Do you want to ask me anything else?"

"It's just that…"

"About magic?"

Don Alejandro sighed, somewhat uncomfortably. "That book you used yesterday. Was it your mother's?"

"Yes, she told me where it was right after she died."

Don Alejandro nodded. "I understand it's part of you, but I can't get used to you saying these things."

"I'm sorry, Father. Maybe we should take it one step at a time."

"But I need to know something about your brother. Was he like you too?"

"I think so, but maybe I wasn't so gifted."

"I can't stop thinking about him. Do you think he's in hell?"

I can tell you what I know, but it won't be easy for you.

"Please tell me. I want to know what happened to him. I feel like I've failed him completely."

"Yesterday there was a trial, and although he was originally condemned to hell, mother intervened and wanted to take over so he could have a chance."

"Your mother was there? I thought she left with your sister."

"No, she knew there was something holding her back, though she didn't know what it was until the end."

"And now she's completely gone?"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll ever see her again."

"So Gilberto is with her, and maybe he'll be saved."

"I think it's difficult, but if anyone can do it, she can."

"Yes, her will was always very strong. I'm glad to hear it."

zzZzz

Several days later they were back in the cave, while Diego answered his father's questions and told him some of his experiences. Don Alejandro at times seemed skeptical, astonished and proud. Also pretty upset sometimes.

"We didn't ask you to help us with those men."

"Father, be reasonable. You and your friends weren't in great shape when you went out looking for them." (1)

At that moment Felipe entered the room, nervously began to make signs and Diego looked at him worried, trying to understand him. Almost at the same instant, the cave door opened and Tornado trotted in.

Diego finally got to understand what he was saying. "He says there are some men outside waiting for us, apparently some bandits have stolen cattle on the Martinez ranch and they have made a patrol to chase them."

Don Alejandro's first impulse was to leave the cave, but Diego stopped him. "Join the patrol and tell them I'm not here."

"Aren't you coming with us? With your arm hurt, maybe it's for the best."

"I can manage with my left arm if I have your help, but first I'll change my clothes."

"But they'll realize you can't use your right arm."

"I don't think so, I always use the whip with my left hand, and I can also use the sword. Others won't notice the details too much, they never do. But. Do you think you'll be able to act like you don't know?" Diego's gaze was of concern.

"I think so. I must do it."

Felipe and Don Alejandro left the cave after making sure there was no one in the library. Three men on horseback waited outside, Ricardo Martinez, his son and one of his cowboys.

"I'll go out with you." Don Alejandro said immediately.

"Does your son come too?"

"He's not home." Don Alejandro seemed a little lost, but Felipe signed something to him.

"He's gone out to pick up some plants for one of his projects. We'd better get out of here. Felipe, go to the garrison and warn the soldiers."

Don Alejandro rode his horse and they departed immediately.

zzZzz

While riding in a southerly direction, Don Ricardo turned to Don Alejandro. "It's a shame your son isn't a man of action. I don't know what will become of your hacienda when you're gone."

Don Alejandro had heard similar comments several times, and was outraged to hear it again, but this time he didn´t lose his temper. Whatever they think about Diego, he knew his son was worth more than any of them, so he just replied: "My son may not be valuable in a fight against bandits, but people like him are the ones who make the laws fair. Every person has their place."

His voice was calm and stern and Don Ricardo seemed a little hesitant when he replied. "I'm sorry Don Alejandro, I didn't mean to offend you."

A gust of wind brought them a cloud of dust and the sound of cows moaning. Don Ricardo beckoned for them to stop. They dismounted to peek more discreetly across a small hill. Along the way they saw two dozen cows and five riders leading them south, as they had assumed.

"They're more than us, and they're armed with rifles." Don Alejandro said in a whisper.

"No, we actually match them in number." Answered a voice right behind them.

They turned surprised and saw Zorro smiling.

"Zorro!" Don Ricardo exclaimed.

Don Alejandro smiled, unable to avoid it, but his gesture went unnoticed by others.

"If we can get them to unload their rifles, we can capture them before they can reload. Approach them when you hear the gunshots." Zorro said.

"But what are you going to do?" asked don Alejandro, worried.

Zorro gestured to him and went to the other side of the hill, crouching behind the undergrowth to avoid being seen and as quiet as when he had arrived without the others noticing. After a few moments some clicks sounded, like gunshots, and a small tree stirred.

"They attack us, open fire" The chief of the bandits was heard to say.

Several shots rang out and an instant later Zorro came out from behind some rocks, a few feet from the tree. Don Alejandro realized that it had been a whip trick to make them believe he was shooting from another position. Don Alejandro and the other three men left where they were hiding and while most of the bandits were still looking at Zorro, they neutralized two of them.

Don Ricardo's son threw himself on one of them, and they rolled to the ground, but when the man tried to pull out a knife, Don Alejandro held his arm firmly and the boy was able to hit him. The bandit boss attacked Zorro with a sword and a knife, but was unable to compete with his skill and soon his weapons were on the ground. The remaining bandit surrendered.

"Thank you Zorro." said don Ricardo satisfied.

"Yes, thank you," Said don Alejandro as he tried to disguise his pride.

Zorro rode his horse and after taking his hand to the hat as a salute he left. Don Ricardo commissioned his son and the cowboy to take the cattle back to the estate. He and Don Alejandro made the bandits ride, unarmed and his hands tied, to take them to the garrison. They had barely set out when they met a group of soldiers who took over the prisoners.

"Come and celebrate, I invite you to a drink in my hacienda." said Don Ricardo cheerfully.

"I'm tired, Don Ricardo, I'd rather go home. Thank you very much."

"Thank you for your help."

zzZzz

Zorro saw an animal moving into the hills with silent footsteps and decided not to return home immediately. He rode a light trot, following the shadow of his fox. Soon he saw a rider in the distance. His paths crossed, and Diego did not avoid the meeting.

He recognized her right away. She had a few more gray hairs, but she still had the same alert look on her coppery face.

"Hello, storyteller."

"Good morning, dreamer."

Diego was surprised. "You never told me you knew my secret."

"The owl sings near the village. Songs about a warrior hiding behind a mask. But he's started singing something different. About spilled blood and revealed secrets, to your father and your consort. I figured you were ready to talk to me, too."

"Victoria is not my consort, and she doesn't know it yet."

"Not yet, but she´ll know soon enough. You shouldn't keep her waiting. She has been sneaking for years, to practice a certain kind of fighting with other young women in the village. She's not very good with the knife, but I advise you not to make her mad at you if she has a broom handy."

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you. But it's going to be hard that she doesn't get mad if she finds out your chief wants me to marry his daughter. (2)"

"I know, I saw you used your magic to escape the village, but don't worry about it. I convinced the chief of the tribe that you're not the right man for Washdea. I told him that you live between two worlds, that of the white man and that of the spirits, and that she belongs not to either."

"Does anyone else know my secret?"

She shook her head. "Only I can understand the owl song."

For a while they both watched the sunset, and then each took the road back home.

Notes

(1) See chapter 3-10: Alejandro rides again.

(2) See chapter 4-2: Ultimate justice.


	3. The Widow

**Chapter 3. The widow.**

The stage coach stopped at the village square and a middle-aged woman, dressed in simple clothes, got off and kindly asked the driver to unload her luggage in front of the tavern.

Victoria approached her and asked if she wanted a room. The woman turned a little surprised.

"Do you run the tavern?"

Victoria was used to misunderstandings when strangers learned that the tavern was hers. With her kindest smile she replied. "That's right, I have rooms with breakfast included. Five pesos."

Despite the smile the woman caught something in Victoria's gaze. "I didn't mean anything bad, señora…"

"It's señorita. Victoria Escalante, at your service."

"Carmen Solano. Nice to meet you. If you'd be so kind as to tell me where my room is, I'd love to get some rest. It's been a long journey."

Victoria noticed that the clothes, though not showy, were of good quality. "Will you stay several days?"

"At least a week. I've recently been widowed and I'm looking for a place to settle down. I'd like to know this village."

"I can find a boy to put your luggage up for a few coins."

"I would be very grateful."

The lady's smile seemed sincere, so Victoria calmed down a little. Then caught her eye and she looked at her hands. She wore a wedding ring, but touched it with the fingers of her other hand, and she seemed uncomfortable with it. Victoria realized how it shone.

Victoria saw that Adolfo, the blacksmith´s son, was at one of the tables and asked if he wanted to put the lady's luggage up. The boy got up and took over the trunk while the widow picked up the small suitcase.

"If you'd be so kind as to follow me." Victoria stopped at the side of the bar and took one of the keys. Then she went up the stairs and opened the door to the third room. "Come in, please."

Doña Carmen tipped the boy after he left the trunk at the foot of the bed. He came out and Victoria closed the door behind him. She addressed the lady. "The door closes at 11 p.m., and except emergencies, no one can get in or out of the tavern until it opens in the morning at 7." Victoria's tone was kind but firm.

Doña Carmen's face hardened, visibly irritated, but a moment later she just seemed a little sorry. "What makes you think I might have visitors?"

"Years ago a woman posed as a widow, but she was actually the mistress of one of the ranchers and I had a lot of trouble not to see the reputation of my tavern damaged. You say you´re widowed, and your clothes seem to confirm it, but I think you are not used to wearing your wedding ring, which is also new."

"I'll have to work on it. Thank you for informing me. I'll stay and rest for a couple of days and take another stage."

Victoria was surprised. "It won't be necessary. I can help you find a little house that you can rent or buy that is more convenient. The woman I told you about is still living in the village."

"Didn't you force her to leave when you discovered her?"

"I think it's wrong for a married man to have a mistress, but it´s not my business. That gentleman is not my friend, and neither is his wife."

"I assure you, señorita, I have no acquaintance in the village. My desire to find a quiet place where settling is authentic."

"Aren't you going to find someone to protect you?"

The lady smiled sincerely. "How polite you are, señorita, by employing such a kind term. I assure you, no. I have had enough _protection_ in my life to save money that will allow me to live comfortably, albeit without great luxuries. If I found a nice gentleman to spend the rest of my life with I wouldn't be upset, but the truth is, I don´t count on it."

Victoria gave her an appraising look. She would be about 45 years old, she had honey-coloured eyes and dark blond hair where some white hairs could be seen shining. She was graceful, although the years had already left marks on her skin. She thought she was sincere. "I will not be the one to stop you from starting a new life if that is what you want."

"Well, then I'll stay at least a week and I'd love for you to help me find more permanent accommodation that fits my needs and income."

Victoria withdrew from the room, hoping she was right in the opinion she formed of that woman.

zzZzz

Don Alejandro and Diego had breakfast at the hacienda while Diego read an article written by a German scientist, trying to decide whether to mention it in his newspaper. Don Alejandro looked around to see that Adela, the maid, was not nearby and addressed his son with a tone of somewhat theatrical conspiracy: "Diego, I've been thinking of something."

Diego looked up from the document to answer. "Tell me, Father."

"It's about Victoria. She and Zorro, that is. She and you...?"

Diego looked away, a little awkward. "We are betrothed." he confessed.

Immediately, Don Alejandro smiled, but then became serious again. "But she doesn't know who you are, does she?"

Diego shook his head. Don Alejandro continued. "Did you ask her to marry you while you were wearing the mask?"

Diego nodded, feeling what was coming at him. "And she said yes?" added Don Alejandro, controlling himself so as not to raise his voice. Don Alejandro covered his face with his hands reflecting. "Of all the nonsense you've done over the last few years, I think this is the worst."

Diego, wisely, decided not to answer. A few moments later, Don Alejandro added. "We all know that Zorro promised to marry Victoria when there was justice in Los Angeles, but you recognized yourself that that won't happen for at least a long time. If you keep waiting maybe it'll be too late."

"If I marry her and I'm still Zorro. What would be her situation if anything happens to me? If I start a family with her, I shouldn't keep taking any chances like this."

"And if you don't tell her and anything happens to you, she'd lose you without ever having had you. She's an adult woman, I think you should give her a chance to decide whether she wants to take the risk or not."

"When I spoke to her, she asked me if it was the man or the legend who asked for her hand. Diego sighed. "I think I made a big mistake." he said at last.

"What do you mean?"

"If I hadn't started a relationship with her being Zorro, I would have had a chance like Diego, but now I can't compete with him."

"You are the same person."

"Not for her."

"Because you haven't told them. In any case, you can compete with any man"

Diego seemed amused at this claim. "You yourself told me on more than one occasion that I shouldn´t try to compare myself to him."

"Then. What are you going to do? It's absurd that you love her and do nothing about it. She almost married someone else."

"I have to study the alternatives." He said thoughtfully.

"Why not tell her directly as you have done with me?"

"It's not the same. When I told you, you knew that I, besides your son, am Zorro, and you were proud, but in her case I have to convince her that the man she loves is actually a man she's not interested in. I think I'd disappoint her."

"Now you're Diego, there's no doubt." His father answered by trying to understand it.

"She is also the person I have spent the most time as Zorro, so she will find it very difficult to recognize the truth. I need her to start seeing me differently. I should dare to tell her how I feel."

"But she already knows, you've asked her to marry you."

"She knows Zorro loves her, but she doesn't know that I, Diego, too."

"Son. How do you keep not going crazy?"

After a few moments in silence Don Alejandro changed the subject."I want to throw a party to celebrate Felipe´s adoption."

"Excellent idea," Diego said, glad to stop talking about Victoria.

"I'm thinking of inviting the caballeros and our friends from Los Angeles. I guess I can count on you to play some pieces on the piano."

"Of course, father."

zzZzz

A few days later, Don Alejandro and Diego headed to the tavern. Don Alejandro looked for Victoria with his eyes, but she was in the kitchen and they both sat at one of the tables. Doña Carmen was finishing her breakfast and looked at them appreciably.

When Victoria came out of the kitchen, they both got up. Don Alejandro addressed her. "Buenos días. We wanted to invite you to a party to celebrate Felipe´s next adoption. It will be at the hacienda, on Friday next week at 7 pm."

Victoria smiled. "I'll be happy to come. I'll also bring you some lemonades for free."

"It's not necessary, Victoria," Diego said immediately.

"I insist. And don't argue with me, you know I always get my way."

Diego smiled, knowing it was true and they both sat down again. Soon they left.

Victoria sat down for a while after finishing serving breakfast. Doña Carmen approached her. The days she had spent there she had been very discreet. She had started visiting available houses in the village, but had not yet made a decision. Victoria found her pleasant, because she had been talking to her and she made very sharp observations about the villagers. She was very adept at discovering the character of the people. She had even avoided a fight before it started, saving Victoria a lot of trouble.

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

"No, go ahead."

"Who were these gentlemen?"

Victoria looked at her suspiciously. "They are Don Alejandro de la Vega and his son Don Diego. Don Alejandro owns a hacienda about two miles from here."

"Well, these are two great reasons to stay in this village. The father is not bad for his age, but Don Diego... You don't see a man like that often."

Victoria became serious immediately. "They are my friends and I would not want them to suffer any discomfort."

Doña Carmen smiled. "I was teasing you a little, my dear. I wasn't planning on approaching them. That man is too young for me. If I were 20 years younger... Besides, at his age, I guess he'll be married to a very lucky woman. In my experience I would say he's a magnificent rider."

"Don Diego grew up in the hacienda, rode horses since he was a child. He's also single." Victoria seemed somewhat baffled by the comment.

Doña Carmen laughed. "In that case there may be more than one lucky woman by these contours, because I didn't mean his skill with horses."

Victoria reddened. "You're wrong about him. In addition to helping his father with the estate he is an intellectual, he plays the piano, writes poetry, edits the local newspaper and does scientific studies."

"How peculiar. He seems to be very busy during the day, but he may be in other activities at night. I wouldn't be surprised if someone like him sneaked out. I've found that scientists like to experience new things, and pianists often have very skillful and sensitive hands. Not as much as the musicians of stringed instruments, but still..." Doña Carmen intercepted Victoria's gaze." What's the matter, dear? Don't tell me he also plays the cello."

"The violin, but I assure you you're wrong about him. He's not the kind of man who leads a double life." Victoria was very uncomfortable with this conversation. She never thought Diego could be a good lover, and this woman seemed very confident.

"He must have a good reason not to marry. I'm sure he doesn´t lack opportunities. He may not like women, but I don´t think so. And you're not interested? Because they've both treated you like a lady, and not a tavern maid, and that smile he's addressed to you…"

"Don Diego is my friend, he is not interested in me or I in him, and neither his private life nor mine is your business. If you'll excuse me."

Doña Carmen changed the tone to a more serious one. "Forgive me, señorita, I don´t know what happened to me. Maybe it's been so long since I've talked to someone honestly that I've gone too far in my remarks, I didn't mean to offend you. If you prefer, I won't speak to you so confidently."

Victoria relaxed a little. "You didn´t say anything that I haven´t heard around here often, people tend to talk too much when they drink a little, but I really think you´re wrong about de la Vega."

"All right, I will say no more."

Victoria got up to go to the kitchen, leaving behind the woman who looked at her with a smile.

zzZzz

During the party the house was buzzing with activity. Diego was at the piano surrounded by three young women who fanned a little more than the temperature seemed to justify and whispered between silly quarrels instead of hearing the piece. Victoria was speaking to Sergeant Mendoza and Don Alejandro watched her as he tried not to go and tell her all at once. When Diego finished playing he got up for a drink and the ladies followed him the way for more silly stings. Victoria noticed and approached Don Alejandro.

"Does this always happen at the parties he goes to?" She asked funny.

"It usually happens. It's the main downside of being single." said Don Alejandro. "I'm sure he'll be very grateful to you if you rescue him." He added in sudden inspiration.

Victoria approached Diego and asked him. "Would you be so kind as to accompany me for some fresh air? The atmosphere is a little hot in here."

"It will be a real pleasure." Diego said, kissing her hand.

The ladies looked at her somewhat angry, but they couldn't think of any way to hold him and Diego gallantly accompanied Victoria to the backyard, lit up for the occasion with colorful lanterns.

"Thank you for coming to my aid." Diego said as soon as they were out with an absolutely sincere tone.

"Your father sent me to the rescue." She answered with a smile." Although I don't know why I should rescue you if you were so well accompanied. They're very pretty."

"It is now when I am accompanied by the most beautiful woman of the party." He took the opportunity to say it.

She blushed, surprised and a little flattered. Doña Carmen's words about his other abilities came to her head without her being able to avoid it and she blushed even more. "If you said things like that to any of those ladies, she'd be yours forever."

"All the more reason not to." Diego responded by laughing.

"You could try telling that mysterious woman you love."

"She doesn't take me seriously if I say things like that." He answered by getting carried away.

"How are you so sure of that if you don't try?" Victoria looked him in the eye. On that occasion he did not look away as he used to.

"I'm sure because that's exactly what just happened." He confessed in a slightly lower tone.

She was silent. She was a little dazed, turned to hide her confusion trying to find a different meaning than she had just heard, but of course she failed miserably.

"Diego." She said at last. "I'm sorry, but you know I love Zorro. I can't…"

As she looked up at him, she met his eyes again. She almost shrank at the intensity of his gaze.

"I know, Victoria, but I've been thinking about it after everything that happened with Gilberto." He paused a little and forced himself to continue speaking, though his tone sounded somewhat insecure. "He tried to kill me, and if he had, I would have died without ever telling you how I feel about you. I love you since I come back, and I had the opportunity to see you almost every day. I realized the extraordinary woman you have become. I could also see then that you only had eyes for Zorro, so I haven't spoken until now, because I knew it's a lost case, but I think I need to do it to move on. I've decided to woo you, and thus show you aspects of me that I've always hidden from you."

She looked away and shook her head, confused. "Diego, please, you know I can't love you. I don't want to hurt you. You're my friend."

"Well, let me try. I'm not going to ask you to love me, just listen to me. I promise I won't chase you with a guitar." he joked.

"As you wish." She said discouraged. "Let's go back inside."

He offered her his arm and they returned to the party, much to the delight of the ladies who came back almost instantly. Victoria looked at him between sad and flattered. Soon she left the hacienda to return to the tavern. Her head was too busy to keep talking about inconsequential things.

When Victoria arrived at the tavern, Doña Carmen was still in the room talking to Pilar while helping her pick up what was left of the dinner. She looked at Victoria suspicious, but said nothing.


	4. Confidences

Chapter 4. **C****onfidences**.

Victoria walked down the stairs of the tavern, ready to start working. When she opened the street door there was a box in front of her with a name tag. She opened it and inside she found a tall vase with flowers. There was also a note:

_Roses can't compete with you in beauty and character. From your admirer Diego._

Dios mío, it's started. Thought.

On turning around, she met Doña Carmen. "Beautiful flowers." she said, smiling. Her gaze was most eloquent, making Victoria uncomfortable. She took the vase inside, not knowing what to do with it and finally put it in a corner of the kitchen.

She waited all day long for Diego to show up, but he didn't. Mid-afternoon Don Alejandro came in and ordered a lemonade. Victoria couldn't help but ask: "Didn't Diego come?"

"He couldn't, he's had to go to Santa Paula first thing in the morning, but I'm sure he'll come to bring you another present tomorrow."

"Don Alejandro, it's crazy. Can't you tell him to stop wooing me? You, well, everyone knows that I…"

"But" Don Alejandro said. "You're not really married yet, so you can't blame him for trying."

She looked at him sadly. Don Alejandro took her hand."Victoria, my dear, I should have realized a long time ago how Diego feels about you, when you got hurt and he didn't leave your side. I'm not going to deny that since he came back, I want him to marry and give me grandchildren. I would have accepted the woman he chose, but now that I know it's you he loves, I can't imagine another woman I'd love more as his wife. A few days ago I knew that I have underestimated Diego for a long time and I am determined not to do it again, so if he doesn't give up, neither do I."

He kissed her hand and went to take his lemonade.

She said to herself: It's worse than I thought.

zzZzz

Diego sneaked into the office of the Santa Paula bank manager. He searched the drawers and read the documents one by one. He finally seemed to find what he was looking for. He quickly pulled a paper and pencil out of a pocket and began to copy in a hurry. A minute later he stopped to listen. He immediately hid in the shadows, in the gap between a closet and the wall. A bald man came into the room, opened one of the closets and after picking something up he rushed out again without even seeing him.

He managed to finish the copy of the document and put everything back in place. Then he slipped away. A few minutes later Diego left the jewels he had allegedly been examining in the safe. Then he left the bank with the funds he had gone looking for and the document he had copied. He hoped no one would find out that he had been searching through the documents, he didn't want any honest man to be harmed.

He had been thinking about what to do to impress Victoria on his onward journey. After buying a few things he started his way back.

zzZzz

Victoria could not resist curiosity, and when at night she saw that Doña Carmen was retiring she turned to her. "Can you come to my room for a moment?"

Doña Carmen went with her and Victoria closed the door. "Did you really know?"

"The don Diego thing? I'm surprised no one told you before. I guess he talked to you at the party."

"He's determined to woo me."

"If I were you the courtship would last about ten seconds, but I think you are not very convinced."

"I love another man."

"I see, that Zorro I've heard so much of. How can you love a man you don't even know who he is?"

"I don't know if I should discuss this with you. I hardly know you and here I am, telling you my secrets."

"Well, you're right, we barely know each other, so you can stop telling me things as soon as you want."

Victoria stared at her uneasily. "Since my mother died, I have no one to talk to." she said quietly.

"I propose something," Doña Carmen said. "one secret for another. I tell you a story and then you talk as far as you want to tell me."

Victoria nodded.

"What would you like to know about me?"

"You seem like a well-educated lady. How did you end up doing that profession?"

"Miss Escalante, no wonder those men treat you like a lady. You're so polite to me..."

Doña Carmen's expression became serious. "I was born in the city of Mexico. My father was a well-known shoe merchant and my mother died when I was eight. I had a brother and two sisters younger than me. My father raised his three daughters as ladies in the hope of marrying us well, connecting with higher-ranking men in exchange for offering a good dowry. When I turned fifteen, he introduced me to society and I met the sons of several influential men. My father encouraged me to flirt with them, and my aunt, who accompanied me to the parties to keep an eye on me, had other interests. She had become widowed and was looking for a second chance because her financial situation was precarious."

Doña Carmen stopped for a moment to organize her memories and continued. "My aunt didn't watch me enough and in the seduction game I was in, I finally got my fingers burned. My suitor told me he loved me, but his parents found him a better match and he didn't dare contradict them and keep his promise to marry me, even though I was pregnant. His mother came to talk to me and said that I had been with other men and that the baby was not her grandchild. Of course she lied, but it was her word against mine."

Victoria looked at her between stunned and compassionate. Doña Carmen continued. "My father tried to marry me to another in a hurry to hide it, lowering his level of demand, but it was too late. The baby would be born in six months and it was impossible to pass it as legitimate. To avoid the scandal they said that I had felt a sudden religious vocation and I was placed in a convent of closure. There the fallen women had the lowest status, and I was treated like a maid even though my dowry went to the convent. They repeated to me that I was a sinner over and over again until I believed it. When my daughter was born, she was taken away immediately after cutting the umbilical cord. I could barely see her face. It´s been more than thirty years, and I only remember her crying and mine."

Tears flowed from her eyes and Victoria opened a drawer to offer her a handkerchief and take another for her. "Thank you." Doña Carmen said, wiping her cheeks. "As soon as I recovered from childbirth, I escaped from there stealing what I could find and headed back to the city of Mexico. I tried to find a job, but I didn't know how to do anything useful. The ladies were taught Latin, French, piano, embroidery and to line albums of souvenirs, and I assure you that with that one cannot make a living. So I turned to the only other thing I'd been taught: to attract men. I had been told that because of my sin, I condemned to Hell, so I didn't care to take the next step."

"I went to Doña Imelda's house, who by then was about the age I am now. She immediately welcomed me and taught me the tricks of the trade. She decided that I would be more attractive as an escort for certain types of men if I continued with my education, so I resumed my studies of arts, literature, languages and music. She kept almost everything I earned, so four years later I escaped again, this time looking to settle down on my own."

"I moved to Guadalajara and rented a small house. Gradually I increased my clientele. There were women more striking than me, but I was more cultured and discreet, so I was quite successful. Over the years I met several of the men I already knew from my life before I fell into disgrace, but I had changed my name and they pretended not to know me at all. Once at a party, I saw my brother in the distance and I had to run away, but luckily, the following year he got married, and I never saw him again in the circles where I frequented."

Victoria looked with her eyes open wide, but she was unable to articulate a word.

"I soon realized that the other women spent everything they entered. In that world the appearance was very important and some of them were competing with each other with luxurious dresses and jewelry. Most also drank alcohol to forget for a while what they were doing. I decided not to follow their example. From the beginning I set out to save at least a quarter of what I earned so I could quit one day. I took the precautions and managed never to get pregnant again."

"About twelve years ago I met a gentleman married to a woman who had a dreadful character. I became his mistress and retired after reaching an economic agreement with him. I didn't make as much money as I did when serving several regular clients, but I was already reaching an age when it was difficult to compete with younger women. I accepted the deal and did not regret it, because I realized that I could look in the mirror in the mornings without feeling disgusting about myself. I thought that must look a lot like being married, and it tricked me by holding on to that idea."

"That man was quite older than me, and over time he almost never came looking for... you know. Sometimes I played the piano for him. Other times he sat in the room and read the paper aloud to comment to me on the news, tell me things about his associates, and complain about his wife and his spendthrift children. In order to have a conversation we could even read the same books and go to the theatre and concerts, although always separately so as not to infuriate his wife. She knew it, but she preferred to pretend not, as long as everything developed with discretion."

"About a year and a half ago he got sick and I never saw him again. The agreed money kept coming to me through his manager. He finally died three months ago and by then, I had enough money saved to retire somewhere discreet. I was very surprised when I got a small sum that I didn't expect. His administrator pinched it from his inheritance, for I had no right to receive anything, but he is a good man and wanted to respect his last will, so he gave it to me on the sly."

"I couldn't go to his funeral, that would have been a scandal. I covered myself with a widow's veil and wandered the cemetery until everyone left. I left a flower on his grave and came home to pick up my things. My brother lives far from here, and my sisters got married well and have their own lives, so I thought no one would remember the sixteen-year-old girl who entered a convent. That's why I dared to get my real name back. And here I am."

"Did you love that man?" asked Victoria.

"Who cares?"

"I do."

"Well, he treated me with respect, never made me feel like a... whore. I wasn't in love, but I cared for him and felt gratitude."

"So somehow you are his widow. Maybe even more than his wife." Victoria said.

That brought tears in Doña Carmen's eyes for the second time. "I think you are the only person I've ever met who would say something like that."

Victoria began to tell her how she met Zorro, and at the end of her story, opened the drawer of her bedside table, removed the double bottom where she hid her few valuable belongings and showed her the gold and emerald ring.


	5. An Original Gift

**Chapter 5. An original gift. **

Victoria opened the tavern and found some workers riding a scaffold on the outside, and a huge canvas bent on the floor. Next to the wall were paint buckets. A few people looked at the scene curiously, whispering to each other. Doña Carmen left the tavern behind Victoria and watched the scene very attentively.

"But what?" Victoria said.

"Good morning Victoria." Diego said, coming out from behind the first level of the scaffold.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"You look beautiful when you get angry. I have a present for you, although I think it'll take about two days to finish it."

'I'm not really angry yet, when I'm angry, I assure you that you'll notice the difference. Are you going to paint the facade?"

"That's the idea."

"And what are you supposed to paint?"

"It's a surprise."

"I was afraid you would say that. Is there anything I can do to stop you?"

"I don't think so. I'm sorry, I have a lot of work to do."

Doña Carmen was on the side of the scaffold, and from there she could see Diego climb easily, he turned his back on her, maintaining balance while helping to assemble the next level.

"Not a bad thing to see." she murmured.

Don Alejandro entered the tavern and ordered a lemonade, as usual. Victoria gave him a furious look. "Of course, Don Alejandro, right now."

The alcalde was at a table having breakfast. "Ah, Don Alejandro. I heard the rumor that Diego has decided to make a proposition to señorita Escalante." he said derisively. "What a waste of time. It is possible that when she's done with him, he comes to his senses and looks for a woman less… temperamental, and finally he´ll marry someone."

Victoria attended the conversation with incendiary gaze, but Don Alejandro was not flouted. "Well, we'll see what this all ends in."

zzZzz

Victoria rested sitting on one of the chairs after attending to all the customers. Outside Diego had already started painting whatever he was painting. She felt a little sad to have Diego out there, but at the same time she was curious.

Doña Carmen came by her side and told her. "You didn't tell me he paints too. Is there anything that he doesn't do well?"

"Now that you mention it, he always avoids confrontations, and he is very bad at fencing."

"I suppose no one is perfect. Well, I'll bet you anything that he is painting your portrait."

Victoria wondered if she would be right again.

zzZzz

At night, in the De la Vega hacienda, Diego tried to remove the paint from his hands. "I'll smell turpentine for days," he said without addressing anyone in particular.

Don Alejandro replied. "Son, the flower thing was fine, but this seems to me to have gotten out of hand."

"No, it's not getting out of my hands, that's the problem," Diego laughed as he kept rubbing.

"Why something so big?"

"I want everyone to see it, to know that I have loved her for a long time and can come to believe that I have convinced her."

"I suppose you know what you're doing."

"I wish I do."

Don Alejandro laughed and felt a little strange. His son was proving far more complicated than he ever imagined. He changed to a more serious tone "Did you discover anything interesting in Santa Paula?"

"Yes, corrupt officials have been making duplicates of the deeds of the best land for months. I think they plan to take over all the lands by taking advantage of political instability."

"Do you know what terrain it affects?"

"I copied the list, but I left the original. It's not the time to find out yet."

"I'll write to the governor to send someone. I know the right person, an army partner. I would never doubt his loyalty."

Diego kept rubbing his hands with the rag. "I hope so, because we risked a lot, not just this estate." then left the rag on the table. "I'm going out."

"At this hour?" His father asked.

"I want to visit Victoria, she's had a very hard day."

"I think she's a little fed up with you, really."

"I wasn't planning on being Diego." he replied calmly.

"Do you usually go to visit her at night?" Don Alejandro asked a little surprised. "And I all this time believing you were doing experiments or reading in the library."

"At night it's easier to hide if you wear black." He answered. Seeing that his father looked at him so serious, he said, "We do nothing wrong."

"If you say so…"

Zorro came to town and got out of Tornado leaving him behind the tavern. As he slid towards the kitchen door, he noticed the strong smell of paint coming off the wall. He smelled his hands and realized that the smell of paint could give him away, as happened with the perfume of the prison alcalde´s daughter (1). He reflected for a moment. He didn't think it was enough to break the spell on Victoria, but maybe it could help.

He stood by the door to see if anyone was inside. He heard a familiar voice, though at first he had a hard time identifying it. She was Doña Maria, the village matchmaker. He peered out of the slit of the door and saw Pilar and Victoria picking up the tables, while Maria spoke all the time. He decided to come in through the kitchen door. Behind the cloth separating this room from the dining room, he could hear what Maria was saying to Victoria.

"... Well, dear, now that Pilar is gone, I can speak to you sincerely. I can't believe Don Diego made up his mind. He was single because he's interested in you. Who was going to say it. He´s the best match of the whole contour. Much better than that Zorro that goes around, jumping on the rooftops, which we should rather call the black cat, because he haven't exactly brought you good luck. Now what you have to do is tie the knot, lest Don Diego changes his mind."

By the look on Victoria´s face, Diego deduced that if she had had a rope with a knot at the time, she would probably have used it to strangle the other woman.

"Doña Maria." She said in a tense voice. "I thank you for your interest, but I will not marry Don Diego. Nothing has changed for me. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do in the kitchen."

"Reflect, my dear. If you let him get away you'll regret it all your life."

María came out and Victoria closed the door behind her. She went to the kitchen without knowing that Zorro was waiting for her with a smile.

"Zorro!" she was startled to see him.

"I can't stay long, I just came to wish you good night."

"Thank you for coming, I think this is the only good thing that's happened to me all day."

"What's that out there? I had to remove a paint bucket that was on my way."

"Well... Diego's making me a present and he's put all that there."

"Does he give you a wall? I thought you had the necessary ones," he said cheerfully.

"He's painting a mural," she replied somewhat dryly.

"Nice, he does make big gifts. Couldn't he bring some flowers like we others do?"

She unconsciously turned her eyes to the vase of roses that was still on the table. "He did that before" her voice was a little lower. "and since it didn't work he's trying something else."

"I see, and from what I've heard out there, it seems like he's courting you, and he's got a lot of supporters. Good thing that woman didn't see me or she would have thrown me out with a broom."

"Don't listen to what that gossip says. If she likes Diego so much she can marry him."

"Poor Diego, I don't think he deserves such punishment for trying. He certainly possesses good taste. In any case I deduce that I have nothing to worry about."

"Of course not!" She exclaimed before realizing that he was joking. "Please don't make fun of him."

"Make fun of Diego?" He answered. "I really envy him."

She seemed confused. He continued to speak: "I envy every minute he spends with you. He can come into the tavern whenever he wants and give you flowers, dance with you at parties, accompany you to church. He can talk to you without fear of soldiers or bounty hunters coming to shoot him. He could marry you tomorrow, give you a home and children."

He came closer to her and spoke again. "Although there's something I can do and he can't," he added just before kissing her.

As he made his way to the back door, they heard a few steps. They became appalled and met doña Carmen. "Excuse me for the intrusion, I just wanted a glass of water."

Zorro looked at doña Carmen. She held his gaze for a moment and then watched him from head to toe, making him feel a little alarmed. "Good night, " he said, and disappeared into the darkness.

Doña Carmen filled her glass of water in the kitchen and retired.

Victoria went up the stairs to her room. She was brushing her hair when someone knocked on the door. Surprised, she went out to open and met Doña Carmen. "Do you need anything, another blanket?"

"No, but I'd like to talk to you, though I run the risk of being thrown out of here if I do."

She let her through.

"I see that the rule that no one enters or leaves from 11 has some exceptions." said Carmen

"It's not what you think. He and I did nothing wrong."

"I suppose this is the famous Zorro, I don't think there are many masked riders around here. About you are doing nothing wrong. Honestly, I believe you. You're not those kind of people."

"I certainly am not, and I very much doubt you know what kind of person he is just by looking at him for a few seconds."

"You'd be surprised what you might get to see when you look at the details. But tell me. Don't you know who's hiding behind that mask?"

Victoria looked at her in amazement. "Do you know?"

"Calm down, it's just a hunch. I've participated in a lot of costume dances and I had a lot of fun identifying the attendees. It gives me some advantage. In any case, even if I confirmed it, you know I wouldn't tell anyone. Do you want me to tell you what I suspect?"

Victoria was tempted, but if it was only a suspicion... how was that woman, who had only been in town a few days to know? What if she was wrong? "No, I don't think so. I'm sure he'll tell me when he's ready."

"I'd like to give you some advice. Be careful, because your reputation could be affected by these night visits and then finding a man who wants to marry you would be really complicated. The clientele would also be affected. Don't be dragged through the mud like it happened to me. " She paused. " Regarding the identity of your night visitor, if you change your mind you know where to find me."

Notes

(1) See Season 2, episode 22 "The Devil´s Fortress (Part 1)"


	6. Letters to doña Corazon

_I'm afraid I published chapter 3 in Spanish instead of English. Thanks to kasiaeliza for telling me. This chapter is a little shorter, so I publish it earlier. The story is completely written, but I will post it everty 2-3 days because I need to review it carefully. The translator usually doesn´t know who is who and mixes the pronouns. If you see some mistake, please review or send me a message._

Thanks for reading.

**Chapter 6. Letters to doña Corazón. **

The next day the canvas was still covering the entire facade of the tavern. Diego came down from the scaffold at noon to eat at the tavern.

"What do you smell like?" Victoria asked when Diego approached.

"Like the solvent of the paint." Diego replied. "What do you have for lunch?"

"Stuffed chiles," Victoria said. "But wash your hands first. And don't leave paint buckets around. Last night... I almost stumbled upon one."

"At your command, señorita." Diego answered by heading to the kitchen. On his way he crossed paths with doña Carmen who looked him in the eye for a second. He felt restless again, when he saw her it seemed to him that he was ignoring something important, but he could not remember what it was.

Victoria had that same feeling when she saw Diego. "How long are you going to take?" she asked him when he came back from the kitchen.

"I have little left, I think I'll finish it this afternoon, but I won't be able to uncover it until noon tomorrow."

"And can you tell me why so much mystery?" She asked without being able to contain herself.

"If I uncover the paint and it hasn't dried yet, the dust will stick to it and spoil the colors." Diego answered, smiling at her impatience.

zzZzz

The next day there was great anticipation in the square, in front of the tavern. "Victoria," said Diego. "It's time to unwrap your gift." and passed her the end of a rope. Victoria pulled on it and the canvas came off, leaving the mural visible. On a background depicting the tavern itself stood out the letters _Victoria Tavern_ and a portrait of her with a jug in her hand. She appeared dressed in cheerful colors, shoulders bare, smiling and with a flower in her hair. She was surprised at the resemblance he had achieved.

"I think it doesn´t do you justice." Diego said, kissing her hand before she said anything. Then he went to the newspaper office.

Sergeant Mendoza was watching the painting smiling. "It's very pretty, but it's missing a few tamales, right there." he said pointing towards the mural.

Doña Carmen was sitting at one of the tables and Victoria sat opposite her. "How did you know?"

"It's what a gentleman does to flatter his lady, give her a nice portrait."

"I'm not a lady."

"You are in his eyes. That out there is a declaration of love the size of a house. If you are not moved by this, you're a lost cause."

"Diego is charming, and he's striving to please me, but you don't know him well. When there's a conflict, he always retires. If he showed something more character, maybe…"

"Well, you know him better than I do, but I think that courting you knowing that you love another man is quite brave. If there's one thing a man fears, it's rejection."

zzZzz

Diego closed the newspaper's office and stopped by the tavern before returning home. Victoria looked at him strangely. "And what do you want now?" she asked with suspicion.

"Just give you these letters that have come for doña Corazón." he replied with his most innocent look. "If you're still interested in helping others with these matters, of course."

"Yes, I am. Thank you Diego."

"Good night," he said, looking her in the eye.

zzZzz

Back at the hacienda, Diego worked on a bust with his face. Felipe asked him by signs what it was for.

"I have an idea, and I need it to look so much like me, that no one realizes it's not me, at least for a moment. We've used this trick before (1), but this time I want to improve it."

Felipe shrugged his shoulders and left the room. Then don Alejandro come looking upset. "I still haven't heard from Judge Ramirez. I'm surprised he didn't answer my letter."

He looked at what Diego was working on and commented. "I don't think she likes a bust of you, son. She doesn't seem too happy to see you lately."

"It would be very inconvenient if the bust was in everyone's sight and someone would think of putting a mask on it, but it's not for her. I have a plan."

"Is it something very complicated and extravagant?" said his father with half a smile.

"More or less. I'm going to need blue glass beads." He added by speaking to himself.

"There are reports of a group of rebels to the east. They've apparently stolen a cow and finished with the orchards of two farmers."

"Then Zorro better go riding tonight," Diego said without looking up from the clay bust.

zzZzz

When Victoria finished her work she sat at one of the tables and pulled the letters Diego had given her out of her apron pocket. She beckoned to doña Carmen and she came over. "Sit down, please," Victoria said. "You may want to read these letters with me."

"I don't know. Are they personal?"

"No, Diego gave me a column in the paper to answer sentimental questions."

Doña Carmen couldn't help a little chuckle.

"Sergeant Mendoza also has one about cooking" Victoria said somewhat nervously.

"Well, that´s nice. Let's look at those letters."

"I've never had so many. There have been usually only one or two, some weeks none and so when there are two letters I save one of them for the next edition."

Two of them were short, written in plain letter, but the third was longer. Victoria decided to start with the shortest two. She read the first one out loud.

_Dear doña Corazón. I've been married for almost ten years and I'm always busy with house and children's work. I hardly have time for my husband, and he doesn't look at me like he used to. What can I do?_

"I see." Said doña Carmen. "Passion usually ends when the first child comes, with a lack of hours of sleep and all that. Then, with each birth, life becomes more difficult and the couple ends up drifting apart."

Victoria looked at her strangely.

"I would tell you that of: If I had a peso for every time I've been told that story... But the truth is, I was able to retire because they gave me a lot more than a peso, actually. Most married men use that excuse when they seek company. I've always wondered why they needed to justify themselves."

Victoria took a few seconds to stop cursing men. Then she intervened. "Well, I don't think it takes much time to dedicate it to the person you love either. Sometimes it's enough with a kind word or a look to regain affection. I saw it daily with my parents and I would advise this woman that when she has a moment, for example, at dinner, she could ask her husband how the day has fared. Also, she could ask a neighbor or friend for a favor to take care of the children one night from time to time so she can be alone with her husband. In return, she could do the same for the other woman, taking care of her children sometime. That's how everyone would benefit."

"I like it, that's good advice. If her husband loves her, it'll probably work."

"Thank you," smiled Victoria satisfied. Let's see this one.

_Dear d__oña Corazón__. A man cares about me, but he has a reputation as a trickster and is rumored to have seduced other women. I want to believe his intentions are good, but I don't trust him. What do you advise me?_

Victoria was shocked. "I can´t belive it! Are all men scoundrels?"

"Calm down, everything has a solution." interrupted doña Carmen. "It is true that sometimes men who have been fluttering from flower to flower want to settle down. I would advise her to accept a formal courtship always accompanied by a chaperone. If his intentions are good, he will accept, and if they are not, he will go looking for other prey. However, if he ever insists on being alone with her, she should break up with him immediately."

Victoria looked at her admiringly. "That's good advice."

Doña Carmen's eyes were fixed on the elegant calligraphy of the third letter. "Shall we go with that one?"

Victoria read it, too.

_Dear doña Corazón. I need your advice, because I've made a big mistake. I've loved an amazing woman for a long time. I will not deny her beauty, especially when her smile lights up her eyes, but it is even more impressive because it will not wither over time. Her beauty flows from within, from her generosity, her courage and her intelligence._

_My problem is, I haven't been honest with her. I've been hiding for years, denying myself and her the chance to be together. Now I regret every moment I've spent by her side without telling her the truth._

_For her I have decided to be brave and open my heart to her, though I fear she has the power to break it into a thousand pieces. What do you think? Do you think she'll give me a chance to show her who I really am? Do you think she can forgive me?_

Victoria stared at the letter without knowing what to say. Doña Carmen looked at her with bright eyes, waiting for her to understand. "And what do we say to this man?"

"I'm not publishing this letter."

"Why not? If you don't have the space you can always put it in the next edition." The voice of doña Carmen was very tense.

"I can't put it on because I don't know if it's Diego's or Zorro's. The answer would be different."

Doña Carmen didn´t know what to say, and Victoria misunderstood her behavior, believing that she had surprised her with her acumen.

Doña Carmen felt compelled to say something. "Sure, it's possible that the letter is from one of them. Either of them, that's it."

Note:

(1) See Season 1, episode 2 "Deceptive Heart"


	7. Legal Requirements

**Chapter 7. Legal requirements.**

Diego walked into the tavern when Victoria picked up the tables. "Not now, Diego, I'm very busy. Pilar's mother is ill and she couldn't stay to pick up."

He didn't say anything, he just set out to pick up the tables on the other side of the dining room. Doña Carmen saw him from above, she had planned to come down to help Victoria, but retreated to her room quietly.

"You don't have to do that, it's my job," she said when she saw what he was doing.

"But if I want to talk to you, I'm going to need you to have some free time." He took several dishes to the kitchen and went back out to take more. In a short time he picked up the last table while Victoria scrubbed the pots.

"I've been thinking about your problem." Diego said as he entered the kitchen again with the last dishes.

"You'll have to be more specific, because lately it seems that problems are piling up on me. Mine and whose else?" she replied.

Diego overlooked Victoria's tone of voice. "Zorro´s, of course. It's clear you can't marry him."

She became angry. "He has promised me..." and stopped suddenly, fearing she said too much.

"Excuse me, Victoria. I have no doubt of his intentions," he said, pretending not understand what she was saying. "I mean that legally and before the Church a person has to marry using its real name. You can't marry bearing a simulated name and a mask."

She looked at him strangely, so he continued. "In my opinion you have three options:"

"Wait." she interrupted him. "Are you going to help me marry Zorro?"

"Well. If you get married, I'll have no choice but to give up, but it's not just that. I'm more complicated than you think and I want to challenge Zorro."

"Now I understand, you're a little crazy."

"No, I'm not going to challenge him with the sword, that would be crazy. I challenge him to make a decision. I think it's very unfair that you've waited so long, so if he really loves you, he should act. He's supposed to be audacious. I think he must take off his mask before you, and for you to decide if you want to be that man's wife."

"It's complicated." she said puzzled.

"As I was saying, if he wants to marry you, he could choose between three different things: The first option would be to ask the governor for a pardon. I'm sure Father Benitez would support a written request. Also the caballeros, because Zorro has helped them all on occasion."

"Would you and your father help him?" asked Victoria.

"Yes. If that's what you need to be happy, I'd sign too. The problem would be that he would almost certainly be summoned for a hearing before the judge, and at that time he would be in grave danger. They may have accepted a representation, but eventually he would have to appear before the court."

"You talked about three options."

"Yes, the second is much more dramatic. He could reveal his secret to you and fake his death, so you could marry the man behind the mask. No one would ever know of deception."

"You'd know. If Zorro died without the body being found and I would marry someone later, you would realize what had happened."

He looked at her again with an intense gaze, making her restless. "I wouldn't say anything, you have my word."

"But with either of those options Zorro would disappear forever, and the innocent and the weak would be unprotected." Victoria said.

"Right. But there's a third option. He could confess you who he is, break up with you publicly as Zorro and spend some time starting to woo you to finally marry you like an ordinary man."

She looked away, pensive.

"You would have to share him with the people who need him, you would suffer every time he went out to fight for justice, and others would think that you have given up love for the safety of a home and a family." Diego's voice was a little more serious than usual, almost a whisper. "It would be difficult for you. Also unfair, you deserve a husband who is always by your side."

"I would take the risk without thinking twice," she said defiantly. "but you haven't talked about the last option, that I could break up with Zorro and marry another man who might be by my side."

Diego didn't answer, took Victoria's hand, no matter that it was still a little wet from the scrubbing water, kissed it gently and said: "I think I took much of your time. I'd better go."

Victoria was a little sad. She didn't understand Diego. She used to take him for a somewhat eccentric, but harmless guy. Lately he always seemed to be up to something.

zzZzz

In the morning she found more flowers at the door, just as the previous ones were beginning to wither. The rest of the day passed normally and she thought she would not see Diego this day, but the worst was yet to come. Victoria was already going to sleep when a violin music came from the street. She went out to the terrace and trying not to raise her voice said, "Diego. Is that you?"

Diego's voice came from below. He stopped playing to answer Victoria. "I don´t understand the question. I was hoping to be original. How many violinists are courting you?"

"Please go."

"But if I just started."

"What do I have to do to get you to leave?"

"For a smile of yours, I'll do anything you ask."

"You promised you wouldn't serenade me."

"Not true, I told you I wouldn't chase you with a guitar, and this is a violin. I had to discard the piano, it´s too heavy."

To her regret Victoria smiled.

"At last a smile. At this rate, in about ten years I will conquer you."

"You´re right, I admit, I smiled, so I can ask for anything I want. Go away and don't come back."

"It's all right. I'll play the end of the piece and leave, but I'm coming back because you've only smiled once and asked for two things."

A cascade of notes emerged from the violin. It seemed unbelievable that they emerged from a single instrument. Victoria was moved.

"Good night." Diego's voice rang in the dark.

Victoria went to her room, and upon hearing the door Doña Carmen peeked out. Victoria went in and closed the door. She didn't want to hear any comment about Diego's skills with string instruments.

zzZzz

In church, when attending Mass the following Sunday, Victoria took her usual place, right next to Diego. She had thought about it a lot, but she didn't know if it would be better to act as usual or avoid him. She finally found it rude to move, but she had the feeling that everyone was looking at them and seemed to hear more murmurs than usual. She felt tremendously uncomfortable. Diego on the other hand acted as usual. He greeted her politely and did not bother her during the mass. On the way out he said goodbye to her kissing her hand, but that was all.

Victoria saw doña Carmen on one of the back benches and decided to say hello and go out with her. Her presence was comforting to her, although she also encouraged her to accept Diego.

"What a time I have been given by the ladies of the village. They kept whispering," doña Carmen said.

"I can imagine."

"Yes, but they say very strange things, like Diego is bewitched and they did an exorcism when he was a child. (1) I think it's their way of comforting themselves because they haven't been able to catch him."

"It may be," Victoria said not to add anything more on the matter.

"I also heard that someone saw don Diego leave the tavern the other night when they were all gone."

"It's not what they think, he helped me pick up and we were talking. It was very strange, because he told me that Zorro and I could do to be together."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Well, he informed me that to get married, Zorro had to take off his mask because you have to give the real name, or it is not valid."

"Does your don Diego also know the law? Of course!"

"He's not mine."

Doña Carmen smiled. "And the one who serenaded you the other day was another tall caballero who casually passed by with a violin? I don't know, maybe I'd mistaken him for someone else."

The priest came over to greet them. Victoria introduced him to doña Carmen, but she retired discreetly because it seemed to her that the priest wanted to talk to the young woman. She wasn't wrong.

"Victoria, hija. What a nice couple you make."

"Padre, you too..." she said, distraught.

"You know what my opinion is about Zorro. He's a great man, there's no doubt about it, but there's no room in his life for you. Diego would be by your side and can start a family."

"He's very kind to me, but I can't help feeling that he's missing something."

"Victoria, Zorro is certainly dazzling you, but if you asked me which of the two has done the most good for this community I would not know what to answer. Diego always has a kind word for the poor, he and his father help them when there is scarcity and advise them how and where to sell when there are good crops to get better prices. When someone has a legal problem, they go to Diego, and I've never seen him reject anyone who needed his knowledge, in that field or anywhere else."

"Thank you for your opinion, Padre. I'll think about it," Victoria said goodbye.

Diego was talking to some friends when Don Alejandro approached Victoria. "If you're wondering if there's a conspiracy to get you to notice Diego, you're right." and walked away from her. Victoria couldn't help but smile.

zzZzz

At night Zorro came back from patrolling the area and passed near Los Angeles. He turned Tornado around and left him in the shadows, a few feet from the tavern, as he used to do. The tavern was closed, but it wasn't difficult to climb the wall and sneak out of Victoria's window.

On the windowsill he stopped to listen and heard Victoria talking to Pilar at the foot of the stairs, so he entered the room. When she walked through the door and closed it behind her, he stepped forward.

"Good night. I've been watching the moon, but it couldn't compete with your beauty."

"Zorro, you haven't been to see me in days."

"A grave negligence which I must correct. Every day without you seems like an eternity to me," he said gallantly.

They kissed, but it didn't seem enough for her. He realized that she was restless. "I'm afraid my mask raises a wall between us again."

"It's true, waiting for you sometimes is hard."

"I know you want to get married and start a family."

"It's what I want most, but there's only one man in the world I want to do it with," she replied, separating from him to look him in the eye.

"I've thought a lot about this matter." He seemed nervous, very different from the image he used to give. "I hope you can forgive me, but I can't keep the promise I made to you." she was startled, which caused him to keep talking "I mean I may never get a chance to take my mask off to the world and be just your husband."

She calmed down immediately. "Then, the only way is to share your secret."

"What if something happens to me?"

"At least I've had a chance to have a life with you. Now I run the same risk of losing you and I don't even know who you are."

"There's something else I'm worried about. I lead a double life, sometimes it's hard for me to be Zorro while hiding it as a man like everyone else. If I'm your husband, if we have children, I don't know if I can take care of my family as I should."

She smiled. "That happens to other men, soldiers, doctors, they also help others and they have families. You talk like being my husband added a burden, but it's not. I will be by your side to help you and support you."

"Is that what you want, to live a lie? Can you just wait when I go out and help someone without knowing if I'll be back?" He asked.

"If we can have a life, even if we have to lie to everyone else, I will accept the consequences." She looked up at him and seemed confused for a moment. "I've said that to Diego before." She shook her head. "Have you talked to him? Is this some kind of game? I don't understand."

Zorro began to speak "Victoria, listen..." but a shout in the square interrupted him and he went to the window to see what was happening.

Doña Carmen had gone out to the square to get some fresh air, she was on her way back to the tavern when she saw a shadow moving next to one of the buildings. When she looked closely she saw Tornado clearly. One of the soldiers was patrolling, and doña Carmen was surprised that he did not react even though he had clearly passed in front of the horse. She looked at the soldier and the horse alternately without understanding it. Then the soldier turned to her and said good night. When she looked again to the side of the square, the soldier followed her gaze and was startled.

"That's Zorro's horse. There!"

Tornado snorted and galloped towards the exit of the village, while more soldiers began to leave through the door of the barracks. At that moment doña Carmen saw that Zorro was leaning out of Victoria's window. She looked at him in amazement and the soldier, upon seeing her, turned to him.

"There he is!" he exclaimed, pointing his gun.

Zorro turned and jumped on Victoria, pushing her down. The bullet passed over them, he went out through the door of the room, and ran to the back of the tavern.

Meanwhile Tornado had left the square at the top of the gallop, but when he reached a darker area just outside the village, he stopped and walked slowly around a building. One of the soldiers who ran after the horse stared into the darkness, strange and unable to see the horse within a few yards of him. "Where have you been?" he asked in amazement.

Two soldiers pounded the gate of the tavern, while three more turned around to get the back door. Victoria opened the front door of the tavern, convinced that Zorro had already left. The alcalde had joined the soldiers.

"Register the building."

"If you look for Zorro you are wasting your time. He's not here."

"Garcés has seen him in your window, señorita. Don't deny it."

"I don't know what he´s seen, but you can search the building if you want. You won't find anything."

The alcalde pushed her away and the men came in. Two of them went up to her room, and when they couldn't find him they kept searching the rest. Doña Carmen had entered the room and stood next to Victoria, trying to support her. The soldier she'd met before pointed to her.

"She's seen him too."

De Soto turned to her. "So this time we have a witness."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Witness to what?" she answered calmly.

"Zorro was here tonight. If you help in his capture, you can claim a reward of 5,000 pesos."

"I'm afraid I can't help you. I haven't seen anything."

Two men entered the kitchen and searched the pantry. The noise of several broken pots was heard, but they returned to the room discouraged.

"There's no one in the kitchen."

Victoria had to disguise a sigh of relief.

"If you're done, I´d better pick up what your soldiers have broken down," she said, heading into the kitchen with determination. Doña Carmen followed her and when she entered, she could clearly see Zorro standing by the wall, but Victoria passed by without realizing. He looked at her, gestured for silence and in a whisper said, "Don't look here." She nodded. At that moment the alcalde entered the kitchen and doña Carmen turned to him. De Soto looked around, but did not react either, leaving doña Carmen very confused.

"And what are you looking at?" he said roughly.

"Nothing relevant, I think." she answered by holding his gaze.

The alcalde came out the kitchen door and yelled at his men to return to the barracks. "He'll be two leagues from here."

The soldiers withdrew and she turned back to Zorro, who bowed his head and took his hand to his hat as a farewell. Then, he went out the kitchen door as if nothing extraordinary happened.

Doña Carmen was astonished. _What the hell's going on here? Are t__hey__ all blind?_

Note:

(1) See the story "The Missing Name" chapter 2.


	8. She-wolf eyes

_Thanks for your reviews. kasieliza was very, very near. Diego also missed something important about Carmen's eyes._

**Chapter 8. She-wolf eyes.**

Doña Carmen got up early and went down for breakfast. Victoria was pensive, but didn't have time to talk to her at the time.

Don Alejandro came through the door and asked for something to drink.

"Have you had breakfast yet, Don Alejandro?" asked Victoria.

"Yes, thank you, just give me something to drink. I came to see the doctor because one of the cowboys is sick, but he hasn't opened his office yet. Apparently yesterday he was very late with another patient. I'll wait here if you don't mind."

Don Alejandro saw Doña Carmen and addressed her. "I'm afraid we haven't been formally introduced, though I've been seeing you around for several days. I am Alejandro de la Vega, to serve you."

"Carmen Solano. Nice to meet you."

"Can I join you?"

"Of course, you can sit."

Victoria brought him an orange juice and was surprised to see them talking. Doña Carmen looked at her a little worried, thinking she might not approve of it, but Victoria smiled and she was calmer.

"I'm surprised you don't see your son around here today," Ms. Carmen said.

"He had to go to Santa Paula for a legal matter, but I'm sure you'll see him soon."

"He has a good reason to come. I've known señorita Escalante recently, and she's already earned my appreciation. I've met few people as generous as her."

"I share your opinion. There are few women like her."

"I am surprised that you approve of her relationship with your son, given her humble origins. I have heard that your wife was a descendant of the Spanish nobility."

"It is true, but my wife was nobler for what she had in her heart than by the blood that ran through her veins. I wish my son a good woman to make him happy. Well, and give me some grandchildren, of course."

Doña Carmen smiled, and her face lit up making her look much younger. Don Alejandro seemed to be bewitched with her.

"I must go see if the doctor has arrived yet. Nice to meet you."

Doña Carmen held out her hand and he kissed it. "A pleasure." she said.

zzZzz

At lunchtime Diego entered the tavern and sat at a table. He ordered lunch, which he consumed slowly, pretending he was distracted by a foreign magazine. He paid, but then stayed at the table while Victoria and her aides continued to serve the other clients. At last he saw doña Carmen and made a small gesture for her to approach.

"Would you mind sitting with me?"

She looked around, a little bewildered.

"Maybe it's a little weird to be seen together."

"I don't think so, in fact no one will look this way. They will behave as if I were not here."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

Diego looked at her, and his blue eyes met hers, golden, like those of her friend Francisca's cat (1). "You know who I am."

She held his gaze for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then Pilar, Victoria's assistant, approached. "Doña Carmen, sit down, please. Are you going to eat something?"

She turned to the waitress and asked for a menu. Then she sat down and looked towards Diego. "That's weird, she hasn't asked if you wanted anything else."

"She hasn't seen me, she thinks you're sitting alone at this table, Just like the soldiers yesterday, or the alcalde, who didn't see me in the kitchen."

"If that's true. How do you do it?"

"I use magic."

"Magic is a hoax."

"No wonder you think that, with you it doesn't work, at least one particular kind of magic, although you can see the effects it has on others. Other spells can affect you. For example, people who sit at this table tend to speak sincerely, regardless of whether anyone else can hear them, which is true, because people who are not at the same table would have to make a great effort to listen."

"That would explain a few things I said to Victoria the other day."

"Oh, I hope I didn't cause an awkward situation."

"No, don't worry, I think she found the information a bit disconcerting, but I'm sure it will be useful to her in the long run. What else does that magic you were talking about?""

"As for me, my magic makes me go unnoticed."

"So you are invisible."

"Not exactly. Others just don't look where I am."

"And why can I find you?"

"You are special. It has to do with the color of your eyes." Diego smiled. "By your face I'm afraid you don't believe a word of what I'm telling you."

"You'll recognize that it sounds very strange."

"Do you want to check it out? When she will bring your food, the waitress won't realize I'm here. If you look at me and talk to me then she can see me."

"Suppose I believe what you say. That would explain about…"

"Please don't mention my other name in front of anyone else."

"Why?"

"You may discover me. You see, I'm almost convinced that if I stood up and yelled at my secret no one would believe me. They'd probably laugh at me, you may have already heard people say I'm pretty weird. But they would believe it if you said it. I'm afraid I'm in your hands."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"It depends on what you decide. You could ask for the reward, but if it's money you're interested in, my father and I could fix it."

"I don't need money. Besides, Victoria's my friend. I didn't plan on reporting you."

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to do something drastic."

"Like what?"

"I'll have to trust you."

Pilar approached with a plate and some cutlery for her. Doña Carmen noticed that Pilar was not looking towards Diego, and decided to take the test. She looked at him and said. "Don Diego. Are you going to want something?"

Pilar turned to him a little surprised. "Excuse me, Don Diego, I hadn't seen you. Can I get you a lemonade?"

"No, thank you Pilar. I was just leaving."

zzZzz

In her dream Carmen opened her eyes and knew immediately where she was. She could feel the pain after childbirth. A narrow window let in the sunset light. As always, she got out of bed and headed for the door, wanted to follow the nun who had taken the girl, but the door was closed. She manipulated the knob, pulling the door, desperate to open it, but her strength was failing and tears began to run down her cheeks. Then she felt a presence at her side. She turned and saw Diego.

He looked into her eyes. "Doña Carmen, is that you?"

"You can't be here, this is a dream."

"A memory, perhaps?" he looked at her carefully. "How old were you?"

She didn't want to tell him, but the urge to walk through the door was too strong. She put her hand back on the doorknob.

"It's a memory. I tried to get out of the room, but I had been locked up."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"The door won't open."

Diego placed his hand on hers and together they pulled the knob, turning it, and when pulled, the door leaf began to move. "This time it will open."

"But it's impossible for me to find what I'm looking for. I never knew what happened."

"Some things are possible now. You just need to have faith."

"No matter what we see, I won't tell anyone. After all, I owe you a secret," he added with a little smile.

She pulled the door and opened, leaving in sight a dimly lit corridor. She came out first and Diego followed her.

"Is it a convent?" he asked when they passed in front of a painting depicting the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

"Yes, for fallen young women." she said, choosing the corridor on her left.

He made no comment and followed her. She headed confidently up a stair, and they climbed a floor. She was surprised to recall with such clarity the distribution of the convent after so many years. They finally reached an area where the doors were more spaced. Doña Carmen tried to open one of the doors, but couldn't until Diego helped her again.

One woman was into the room, with her back to them, a door opened at the other side and a tall, thin nun came in and gave the other woman a frosty look.

"The baby is a girl," said the lowest woman in a sweet voice, showing a lump in her arms to the other woman.

"Let me see her." the tall woman said in a cold a authoritative voice.

"Look, she's very pretty" she responded by cradling the baby, not being able to avoid a smile.

"It makes sense. Her mother is a beauty."

"Her father is also a very handsome young man."

"We can't know that, she says he's the father, but with these girls you never know."

Doña Carmen didn't dare move. "You can come, we can talk. This is the past, and nothing we do will change what happened. They can't see us." Diego told her.

Carmen came over and looked at the baby's face. The tall nun was watching her, too. "Yes, she is pretty, but she has she-wolf eyes, like her mother," she said dryly.

"I'll take her to the wet nurse. When does señor Maldonado come to look for her?"

"I'll send a note first thing in the morning, and they'll probably come looking for her throughout the day. She will go with Aguirre, Maldonado is a trader traders and prefer a son to educate so that in the future he can continue the business. Señor Aguirre has asked for a girl so that his wife can dress her elegantly and take her to social events. The very rich prefer girls, who may shine in society but do not inherit their goods, apart from a good dowry." She looked at the girl with a stern face. "I hope for their sake that the girl does not come out as frivolous as her mother."

Diego heard doña Carmen gasp at that comment. The women and the baby began to fade, and eventually Diego and Carmen were alone in an empty room.

"Is this really what happened?" she asked in a drowned voice.

"I am convinced that it is. I've had dreams like this before, and they're usually pretty accurate."

"I suppose you'll want to know what happened."

"I think I've understood enough. You don't have to tell me anything."

She nodded and saw that he too was beginning to blur.

"Good night." he said in a whisper.

zzZzz

Victoria knocked on doña Carmen's door. "Good morning, breakfast is ready."

"Coming down in a moment." She got up a little bewildered. Wondering if what she had dreamed could be true.

"Are you all right? You don´t look well" asked Victoria kindly.

"I'm fine, I've just had a very strange dream."

Victoria sat next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's something I'd like you to tell me. In the church I heard something unsettling about your friend don Diego."

"Doña Carmen, as a child, he received the Sacrament of Confirmation, everything else is slander."

"But last night, in my dream, he was there, he guided me in a vision of my past. I saw my daughter." she said, lowering her voice.

Victoria saw tears in doña Carmen's eyes. "Diego once told me he can see those who are gone. Maybe he can see other things that others don't see." she whispered.

Carmen took Victoria's hand and looked her in the eye. "Have you ever wondered if there is much more in him than meets the eye?"

Victoria got up a little scared. "I have to serve breakfast. Maybe we can talk later."

Through the window, Carmen saw Diego pass into the newspaper office. She finished her breakfast and decided to follow him.

She crossed the square on a normal walk. She didn't think anyone was watching her, so she knocked on The Guardian's door.

"Go ahead."

She came in and saw Diego sitting in front of his desk.

"Good morning. Would you like to sit down?"

"Good morning, " she seemed a little insecure.

"Do you want to talk about last night's dream?"

"Then you were there for real."

"That's right, but as I said, you don't owe me any explanation."

"Why did you intervene in my dream?"

"You say it as if I could control what I do in my sleep, and I don't. Something drew me in that dream. I hope it did you some good."

"At least it has served for me to believe in your magic. Does anyone else know what you are capable of?"

"Yes, my father knew it recently, and the boy who goes with me, Felipe, knows it from the beginning."

"Why does everyone think the boy is deaf?"

"You´ve noticed that too. Please don't tell anyone. We find it very useful that everyone believes it."

"Does he use the same trick as you?"

"Yes, I share my magic with Felipe and Tornado. The tavern is full of that magic, what happens with the table had not foreseen it, but it is very useful to get information. Somehow magic acts on its own, mostly to protect me, although lately something is affecting it."

"And what about Victoria? She's very confused."

"She doesn't know I'm Zorro. I'm trying to find a way to tell her."

"Tell her directly."

"I did, and she didn't understand me. She asked me if I spoke French."

"The other day I offered to tell her who's behind the mask."

Diego looked at her in amazement. "Did you ever tell her? She would believe you."

"She asked me not to. She said she wants you to tell her."

"It makes sense. I'll try again very soon."

"What if she doesn't believe you?"

"Maybe I´ll need your help after all."

Notes

(1) See the story "The Missing Name" chapter 8.


	9. A Romantic Dinner

**Chapter 9. A romantic dinner.**

Diego hadn't been to the tavern for two days, although the day before Victoria had found a small poem in a scented envelope. It was almost time for dinner, and she wondered if she was missing him when he walked in the door and asked for something to drink. Pilar, Victoria's employee, served it and he sat at a table with two other men, with which he chatted animatedly.

_Maybe he's just having a drink before he goes home_. She thought, but she couldn't stop suspecting.

She went into the kitchen to prepare dinner and within a few minutes Pilar came in and told her if she could go out for a moment.

She found that they had moved the dining room tables, leaving a space in a corner of the tavern separated from the rest of the room by a beautiful screen.

"Diego." She murmured.

The aforementioned Diego approached her.

"Would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?"

"I'm busy in the kitchen."

"I knew you'd say that, so our cook has sneaked into your kitchen while I was distracting you and she's taking care of everything."

"And who will serve the tables?"

"Adela will help Pilar." Diego answered calmly. "As you can see, I've got it all planned out. If you dine with me, I promise I'll leave later without serenading you." He smiled.

Victoria couldn't help but be flattered again. She surrounded the screen and behind there was a table for two with a linen tablecloth, candles and a small vase of flowers. The porcelain plates contained two steaks surrounded by artistically placed vegetables. Even the bread was nice.

Diego pulled a chair away and invited her to sit down. Then he sat in front of her and filled both glasses of wine.

"When did you organize all this?" She asked.

"While you were busy," he drank some wine. "You know? I have a lot of secret talents. One of them is a skill for conspiracies and cunning schemes. I've recruited several accomplices."

She tasted the wine to disguise that she didn't know what to answer that. It was delicious, as could be expected. "And do you have more secrets?"

"Of course, even my house has secret passageways. I'll show you the next time you go to the hacienda. In fact, at the end of dinner, I'll tell you the biggest secret of all. I assure you, you'll be surprised."

"Diego. How long is this going to last? I really don't think it's going to do any good. I can't change how I feel."

"I'll make you a promise. When I've told you my secret, if you're still convinced that you can't love me, I won't insist. I just hope you believe me."

"Nothing you say can change my mind." But she wasn't so sure anymore.

"We'll know soon enough." Adela approached them to change the dishes. She brought them a delicious fruit dessert and retired silently disguising a smile.

"Do you like dinner?" Diego asked.

"Everything is perfect." She recognized, discouraged.

"Everything but the company. Your mind seems to be far from here."

"I'm sorry Diego," she apologized.

"You don't have to apologize. I think I can get your attention. If you answer me a question, I'll tell you my secret."

"Diego, please don't ask me."

"Don't worry, I know if I ask you to marry me, you'll say no. What I want to ask you is a little more complicated." He paused, and when he spoke his voice trembled a little. "Please be honest. If you'd never met Zorro. Do you think I would have had a chance?"

She tried to start her answer a couple of times without finishing deciding. She finally spoke: "A few months ago I would have said no, but on the trip to Santa Paula I thought I saw something in you, and after these days... it's been awkward, but because I wanted to avoid it at all costs. You're a good man, and brave in your own way. I think if Zorro didn't exist, it would have been possible. But he exists, Diego, and I can't love anyone else."

Victoria didn't understand why he was so excited. When he looked at her he seemed about to cry. "You don't know what that answer means to me. But I'm not being fair to you. I have to tell you the truth."

He took out of a pocket a piece of black cloth and gave it to Victoria, who picked it up without swelling up to think. "Victoria, I am Zorro."

She stared at him and started rubbing the cloth between her fingers, seemed to try to understand what Diego had just said.

The stars engraved in different parts of the tavern shone with a light that only Diego could see. Then the alcalde´s voice was heard.

"I want a man there, in that window. Another guarding the door and a third guarding the back door."

Victoria rose like lightning, left the cloth on the table and came out from behind the screen. While Diego, still seated, covered his face with his hands, passed them by his hair and murmured. "What good timing, alcalde." He kept the cloth in his pocket and got up to follow Victoria.

By the time he came to her side, she was yelling at the alcalde: "What are you supposed to do invading my place like this?"

He deliberately ignored her and looked at Diego. "Ah, de la Vega, making a fool of yourself, as usual lately."

His tone was mocking, but Diego wouldn't let himself be provoked. "Señorita Escalante is a free citizen, I find no justification for this hostile act." said Diego calmly.

"Señorita Escalante is a declared accomplice of a bandit. I have decided to put this place under surveillance until Zorro comes to get rid of... competition," the alcalde said, looking towards Diego. "Maybe I ´ll save your life again, he'd take two seconds to finish you off."

"Zorro will see your men a league away." Said Victoria dismissively.

"It's worth a try," the alcalde replied. "At last I have discovered his weakness. The other day he was seen sneaking out of your window, so it's clear he has a fondness for your company."

Victoria turned red with shame and outrage. Customers remaining at the venue began to whisper among themselves, increasing their confusion. Unaware of what she was doing, she turned to Diego, and saw that he was pale with anger. Suspicious of what he must be thinking of her, she was terrified and tried to retreat to the kitchen, but nearly slammed off one of the soldiers as she entered. She finally went up the stairs and locked herself in her room slamming the door.

"We are watching your window closely, señorita," said the alcalde loud enough for Victoria, and in the process, all those present to hear it.

"Don Diego, I think your date is over," he added without even looking at him.

"This will not be so," he said in a deceptively serene voice.

"Well, if you insist on defending a woman who humiliates you is your problem. I personally don't like used goods."

It took all his self-control to get out of there without doing something stupid. He rode on horseback and went to the hacienda trying to calm down. His first impulse was to wear the mask and gallop back, but he knew it was precisely what the alcalde wanted. Provoke the wrath of Zorro and force him to make a mistake.

zzZzz

Diego came to the hacienda and dismounted the horse. He walked through the door trying to decide what to do next. His father met him. "Diego, son. How'd it go?"

Diego looked at him with his lips pursed tightly. He was completely stiff.

"What happened?" asked his father in a troubled tone. "Victoria didn't believe you?"

"I didn't get her to believe me, the alcalde interrupted us," Diego replied. "He's surrounded the tavern with soldiers, he's holding Victoria there to catch Zorro when he goes looking for her. But that's not the worst thing. He publicly embarrassed her by saying they saw Zorro come through her window."

"After so long has anyone seen you?"

"Yes, something went wrong. No magic is infallible."

Don Alejandro responded firmly. "Well, you will have no choice but to bear the consequences."

"The alcalde hinted..." said Diego.

"I know what he was implying, but if you really cared so much about her reputation, maybe you shouldn't have been tempting luck. It was only a matter of time before someone found out that you were sneaking up on her. Besides, if you and she have a clear conscience, because you have a clear conscience. Don´t you? What difference does the alcalde think?"

"Of course I have a clear conscience, father. You know I would never dishonor a woman, let alone the one I love for a wife, as you would not have done in my place either."

"Of course not, son," Don Alejandro said in a somewhat alarmed tone and avoiding Diego's gaze. Luckily, Diego was so concerned about other issues that he didn't realize how uncomfortable he felt.

"But it's not just the alcalde, it's also the rest of the town."

"They'll murmur, of course, but make her your wife at once as you planned and they'll get tired."

"You're right," Diego said, relaxing a little.

"Of course I am. Now calm down and think carefully about what you're going to do. I'm surprised you didn't hit the alcalde right there after the way you took this whole thing. And I'm even more surprised to be the one who recommends you think before you act. Who would have said that... In any case I admire your self-control."

"For not hitting the alcalde?"

"Yes, son, for that too." replied Don Alejandro by patting him on the shoulder.

Diego seemed thoughtful. "It's clear that I can't get near the tavern today, but since most of the soldiers will be there, it's a good opportunity to sneak into the alcalde´s office and look for the property documents that are kept there. I think I can also get a message to Victoria without having to approach."

zzZzz

Victoria heard a few slight knocks on her door. "Can I come in?" she heard Doña Carmen say. She rose from her bed and swept the latch. She opened the door just enough for her to come in and closed again.

"Tell me I'm stupid." Victoria said.

"You're in love." Replied Doña Carmen.

"With a shadow, a fantasy that has come through my window and ruined my reputation. And you warned me."

"Well, yes, but I'm sure nothing happened."

"Well, you're going to be the only one. Everyone will think so."

"Maybe, but I am different. I'm sure of two things: you still don't know who he is, and you wouldn't have slept with a man without him taking off his mask. Frankly, a naked, masked man is quite ridiculous."

By the tone of doña Carmen it seemed that she was not speculating, so Victoria decided not to ask.

"How was that dinner?" asked doña Carmen.

"Diego is lovely. He was trying to seduce me by telling me he's got a lot of secrets. He wanted to tell me something, but then the alcalde came and I can't remember what he said to me."

Doña Carmen looked away. "You really have no idea what he might want to tell you?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. After what the alcalde has said, I can say goodbye to him."

"I don't think you don't mind. Besides, I don't think your Diego is going to change his mind so easily. I'd say he's pretty stubborn. I'm sure the next time you see him, he can finish telling you whatever he wanted to tell you." Doña Carmen was trying to contain her desire to tell her. She barely made it.

"Good night," Victoria said.

"Good night. Try to rest."

zzZzz

Zorro surrounded the alcalde´s office before deciding to enter. He finally climbed the roof and went down the inner courtyard. He took advantage of the moment the guards crossed paths to get into the office. Opening the safe took several minutes. He selected several documents and tried to read them in the dim light coming through the window. He finally hit the one he was looking for. He left them in the safe again and went out the way he had entered.

He moved through the square hiding in the shadows. The soldiers were quite well placed for what was usual in them. There were still several dead angles. He pulled a rope from one end of the square to the other and tied a board to it. He went to the other side and pulled hard. The noise broke out on the side of the church, and When the two soldiers guarding that side turned around, he took the opportunity to approach Victoria's window while concentrating on the star-shaped symbol. He threw something into her room and escaped.

Victoria hadn't been able to sleep. Her initial rage had passed and now she felt sadder and more confused than angry. She wanted Zorro to come, even though she knew it would be stupid for him to do it. But what surprised her most was the amount of time she had been thinking about Diego, how he had behaved with her, like a gentleman courting a lady rather than a vulgar tavern maid like her. She was sure he wouldn't insist again, and even though on the one hand it was the best, on the other she was going to miss it so much. She just hoped that they could at least remain friends, although thinking about it filled her with sadness.

Overwhelmed by those thoughts she had been circling in bed as the moon slowly rose in the sky. She heard a noise on the other side of the square and went to look out the window. A soldier was at the foot of the building, but he had turned to the church. Then a small object entered through the window and struck on the ground with a slight noise. Victoria crouched down to catch it.

On the outside it was cloth and rope, but it looked like there was something hard inside. She undid the knots of the rope and opened a black satin handkerchief. Inside, she found a piece of paper wrapping a small brooch shaped like a red rose. The paper was written, but she couldn't read it in such low light.

She decided to take as little risk as possible and despite the heat of the night she threw a thick curtain over the window. After making sure the window was completely covered, she dared to light a candle. She was anxious to read it:

_Love cannot be defeated, only delayed. The a__lcalde´s__ words may hurt us, but they will not destroy us, even if today they prevented me from showing you my soul. I will find a way to reach you, if necessary I will resort to conspiracies and c__unning s__chemes__ and meet you hidden behind my mask, the one that has separated us the most. If you have a chance to circumvent surveillance, don't hesitate to get out of your prison. _

_Remember that my love for you is not my weakness, but my strength. _

_Forever your__s __Z._


	10. At last

**Chapter 10. At last**.

In the morning the tavern seemed emptier than other times. Victoria wanted to believe that the presence of the soldiers discouraged her parishioners.

Doña Carmen sat at the table next to the one she had shared with Diego the day before, which was occupied by two ladies. They spoke in whispers, but doña Carmen had a very good ear.

"Look at her, she doesn't have enough with Zorro, and now she's got don Diego wrapped around her little finger."

"I don't understand what he sees in her, she's just a tavern wench."

"I assumed that don Diego was looking for a refined lady, but if he wants a temperamental woman, maybe I can do something about it."

"I thought you weren't interested. He'd be a very boring husband."

"Probably, but he's still the best catch in the area. I could do like my cousin Jacinta, who spends most of her time in Monterrey while her husband is running the ranch. They can only see each other two months a year."

"But he'll want children."

"People say he's kind of crazy, like other relatives in his mother's family, maybe it would be better if the children weren't his."

They both laughed quietly.

_Well, it's better to avoid that table if you're hiding something. What a pair of v__ipers__. And then I'm the w__oman__ with l__oose__ moral__s_. Doña Carmen thought.

"Perhaps at the next party we go to, I can stay alone with him." said the tallest lady.

_O__ver__ my dead body__, d__ear_. Carmen murmured.

Victoria saw Don Alejandro arrive and again became concerned, wondering if Diego would have told him what the alcalde said and what he would think of her, but he behaved as usual. He asked for a lemonade, greeted her politely and started chatting with one of the soldiers.

After a while he approached her and said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I find it tremendously unfair that they keep you watched here, Victoria. Diego has studied your case and claims that without a formal indictment the alcalde´s authority is not enough to be able to enter private property. I have decided to invite you to join us tomorrow at the wedding of Don Pedro Martínez. I'm sure he'll welcome you in his estate. At least you can spend an afternoon away from the alcalde´s impertinence."

She was surprised she was invited to a party. He was the least she wanted to do, but she remembered Zorro´s note and thought it couldn't be a coincidence. The note was not clear, Victoria assumed it was because Zorro did not want to put himself in danger if it fell into the wrong hands, but he did say to leave the tavern if she could. Besides, there was something in it, she was sure Zorro was talking between the lines. She needed to think about it more, but after a night almost sleepless she couldn't concentrate, and with the alcalde and all those soldiers out there she didn't dare take the note out of its hiding place.

"All right, I'll go with you," she said, trying to look calmed.

"Great." said don Alejandro. "We'll pick you up at five with the carriage."

Doña Carmen approached don Alejandro. She smiled at him, wondering if he had spoken to his son about their conversation in the newspaper office.

"Would you like to have a drink with me, Don Alejandro?"

"With pleasure, doña Carmen. Orange juice?" She nodded and he beckoned Pilar to ask for one.

Doña Carmen noticed the noise in the tavern and decided there was no danger of anyone hearing their conversation. "From what I see you don't believe those rumors."

"Not for a moment, I trust fully in señorita Escalante's honesty."

"I'm sure your son shares your opinion."

"Of course, he is convinced that it is not true."

"Sure. Who would know better than him?"

Don Alejandro's face was of concern. No doubt his son was a much better actor than he was. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

"I mean, your son is the only caballero around here who is six feet tall, has that broad shoulders and blue eyes. He is surprisingly good at climbing the scaffolding, and you don't get that muscle by playing the piano. I admit black suits him very well, but I find the mask too dramatic."

"If you insinuate that Diego is Zorro, you can't be more wrong. He doesn't know fencing and avoids fights."

"Pretends that he does not know fencing, and of course he avoids fights. He can't be in two places at once. Or can he? You never know with him."

"Don't insist. You say it because you don't know him, but everyone who knows him well knows it's impossible."

"Yesterday Diego tried to tell Victoria a secret, and the alcalde interrupted him. I'm absolutely sure he tried to confess to her that he's Zorro, and I just want to tell you that if there's anything I can do to help you, you can count on me."

"How do you know what Diego said to Victoria?"

"Because she told me. The poor thing is still in the dark, but let's see if I can get her to realize it throughout the day because the later she discovers it, the dumber she's going to feel and the more she's going to get mad at him. I haven't seen her angry yet, but I suspect she might do or say something she'd regret later. She'd better not have your son in front of her at that time."

Don Alejandro was so worried that he even stopped denying that his son was Zorro. He ran out of lemonade and said goodbye to doña Carmen a little distracted.

zzZzz

The next day went by very slowly for Victoria. She tried to do her job as usual, but she only half-got it. She had read the note several times and something kept spinning in her head.

_Just when Diego decides to declare, Zorro tells me he was looking for a way for us to be together. _

_Diego said he challenged Zorro to act, but. How would Zorro know what Diego had said?_

_Sometimes Zorro speaks as if he knows what Diego has told me, and it had also happened the other way around._

_Now Zorro wants me to leave the tavern and then Diego and his father invite me. On several occasions they have helped the same person, one with the laws, the other with the sword._

_What was that important thing that Diego was telling me before the a__lcalde__ arrived? Did he say h__e__ was...? But no, they can't be the same man. They're too different. Or does he do it on purpose to hide a__t__ the sight of everyone under Diego's harmless appearance?_

In thinking about it, she seriously realized that Zorro had to be a caballero. His clothes, his manners... and he also had science skills. She tried to remember, thinking of a time when the two were in the same place, side by side, but she couldn't remember all the details well.

_Is Zorro taller or does it just look like it by the hat?_

_Diego's eyes are blue too, but. Do they have the same tone?_

_They both wear moustaches, and Diego is very attractive. H__e__ would be even more so if he wasn't so shy, although lately his shyness seems to fade, the one that seemed insecure the other day was __Zorro.__ Could a person hide his character that way? H__e __should be__ a trickster__._

She almost burned the food out of how worried she was. Then she remembered the smell of paint. Zorro and Diego had smelled the solvent while Diego painted the mural.

She went out into the room and warned customers that she would close after lunch. Her thoughts still did not give her a break.

_Was I beginning to feel for Diego more than friendship and that's why I want him to be Zorro? _

Then she thought that if he was, she wouldn't have to hurt him by turning him down again, but what if Zorro was someone else?

She closed the tavern at three o'clock and picked up the kitchen. She went up to her room to put on her party dress, sure the soldiers wouldn't dare follow her. She saw doña Carmen in the living room and from above, she asked her. "Could you help me with my dress if you're so kind?"

Doña Carmen nodded. "I´ll be right there in a moment"

In her room Victoria held Diego's poem in one hand and Zorro's letter in the other. When she looked at them it didn't look like the same handwriting, but when she closed her eyes the touch of the paper was the same, and she also noticed that they smelled the same.

Doña Carmen knocked on the door and Victoria put the letters in the drawer before opening it. She spoke in a whisper. "Do you really think you know who Zorro is?"

Doña Carmen nodded.

"I need to know if you suspect... No, it's silly."

"I don't think it's silly."

"It's just that sometimes I think he could be Diego."

Doña Carmen struggled not to raise her voice. "Bendito sea Dios! At last you realize. How many clues do you need?"

"But he doesn't know fencing."

"He went to study in Spain. Didn´t he? There he must have learned more than science and poetry from what it seems."

Victoria got out of bed and opened the drawer, pulling out the two letters. "Look at this," she said bluntly, but when she looked carefully she realized that the handwriting was indeed the same.

"So it´s really him. I can´t understand. Just now..."

For a few moments she sat on the bed, unable to speak. "But. Why has he lied to me so long? We could've been married for years. He's a liar, a miserable trickster..." Victoria was raising her voice.

"You're right, Victoria!" interrupted doña Carmen. "He deserves to be hanged. Come down right now, tell the alcalde and he'll take care of it."

"But what are you saying?"

"No, what are you saying? Don't you want your fiancé killed? Because if you don't calm down, that's what you're going to get."

"Of course I don't want him to be killed, if I wanted to see him dead, I'd kill him myself. And he's not my fiancé."

"That's the spirit! And in that drawer you have a gold ring with a big emerald that says otherwise. That man has come here to ask for your hand a second time, this time without his mask, risking that you behave like a madwoman and discovered his secret in front of everyone, so sit there and think well what you want because right now that he's willing to marry you, you could lose him if you're not careful. Knowing men as I know them, I can tell you a few worse things he could have done to you."

"Do you think he wants us to get married now?" Victoria's eyes shone.

"Of course. What do you think this is all about? He's trying to convince everyone that he can change your mind about Zorro. That's why he's so outrageously courting you. If you still don't believe what I'm saying, look at his eyes. His mask doesn't hide them."

"But. Why has he lied to me so long? We've known each other since we were children. We're friends."

"Let's see, girl, men lie to profit or because they're afraid. In this case it is clear that this is the latter. You yourself have told me what he told you about his fear that the man of flesh and blood could not be compared to the legend he had created. Besides, he may be suspected you wouldn't take it well. Where did he get that idea?"

Victoria blushed and she looked at her sweetly, almost like a mother. "I've met actors and I know they mustn´t spend too long playing a role, because the character they pretend to be ends up controlling their lives, and he's been pretending to be two people who he's not really."

"Two people?"

"Yes, two different characters, if you stop and think about it you will realize that don Diego is as false as Zorro. He told you clearly in the letter he wrote to doña Corazón. The question is whether you really love that complicated man. He's certainly a hollow head, but the fact that you agreed to marry a stranger doesn't seem to me much more judicious. You make a good couple."


	11. The invitation

**Chapter 11. The invitation.**

Victoria looked at Doña Carmen, and suddenly everything was spinning.

"Diego is Zorro," she muttered.

"Yes, that's it."

"And he wants us to get married."

"That's what he told you. Isn't it?" said doña Carmen, who was beginning to worry.

"But he's rich, and he's educated, and besides... he's Zorro. Why does he want to marry me?"

"I can think of a few reasons, but maybe you should ask him."

"Yes, good idea."

"Are you all right?"

"It's just that I've never thought about anything like this before. I think I hardly know him, and I'm going to marry him, both of them."

"Can I get you a glass of water?"

"No, I'm fine."

Pilar was just picking up in the main room, and went up to tell her that Don Alejandro had just arrived.

Victoria came down and saw that don Alejandro was alone.

"Come with me, my dear." he said. "Diego has had to go out on urgent business with one of the tenants. He will meet us at the church."

"Sure, I´m ready."

When they arrived at the de la Vega hacienda, Adela graciously offered Victoria a drink, but she was still very discouraged. She needed to talk to Diego, but it was not possible. Suddenly don Alejandro had an idea. "Victoria, that dress reminds me of my wife Elena's favorite. It was the same color, and she always wore it with some earrings that I gave her. I would very much like you to wear them tonight."

She felt a little cowed that she was being compared to a lady like her. "Don Alejandro, you're very kind, but I don't think it's appropriate."

"Nonsense," he said with more feeling than politeness. "They've been in a box for years, when they're made to look next to the face of a beautiful woman. What's the point?" He saw that he didn't seem to convince her and added. "At least come and see them."

She could not refuse and accompanied Don Alejandro to what had been his wife's private room. It was tidy and it was spacious and bright. The furniture was somewhat different from the rest of the house, more elegant. The screen Diego had brought to the tavern was there, in front of the closet. Victoria thought Alejandro´s wife had been a woman with exquisite taste.

Above the dressing room was a small chest with drawers. Don Alejandro opened one of them and pulled out some gold earrings, with a rectangular green stone in the center. They had the same design as the ring Zorro gave her as a pledge of his marriage word. She took them away without being able to look away from them. Victoria was fascinated. She had the ring in her hands so many times that she knew its design by heart. She remembered perfectly how she felt when Zorro, that is, Diego, gave it to her.

Meanwhile, don Alejandro began to speak: "They are pretty. Don´t you think so? They may seem old-fashioned, though. I ordered them to match her engagement ring. I can't lend it to you because it could be misleading, but it's a marvel. You have to see it. It's been in my family for four generations."

He started looking in the drawer, but she knew it would be useless. "How weird, it has to be around here," he added strangely.

The noise from the door was heard. "There's Diego, I think. Please put these earrings on. We'll be right out."

Victoria stood by the door of the room trying not to be seen. As they approached, Diego spoke to his father quietly.

"We're late." said don Alejandro. "How'd it go. How many were there?"

"The travelers are fine, and there were four highway men," Diego replied hastily.

"Were they armed?" he asked again.

"I'm fine, father, they didn't get to shoot. I have to change. Did you bring Victoria? I wanted to talk to her in the cave, but I don't have time anymore. Every time I want to talk to her, something comes up that stops me."

"Yes, she has come. She seems pretty discouraged. I borrowed some earrings from your mother, to try to cheer her up a little."

Victoria came back next to doña Elena's dressing table quietly, and when Diego arrived at the hall, she was putting her earrings in front of a mirror, as if she had been in the room the whole time. When he passed through the door, she turned and their eyes met for a moment. Seeing his eyes Victoria wondered how she hadn't noticed before. He greeted her with a little smile, and entered his room. Her doubts faded away with that simple smile.

Within a few minutes he came out adjusting his jacket. "Father, can you bring me the cuff links?" Victoria had already finished putting on the earrings and was at the hall, ready to go.

Father and son entered doña Elena's room to look for the cuff links in the jeweler and Victoria waited outside, while quietly striving to hear what they were saying.

"Diego, I can't find your mother's ring. I wanted to show it to Victoria."

"Have you lent her the emerald earrings and told her about the ring?" Diego asked.

"Yes, the earrings were perfect for that dress," don Alejandro replied.

"Don't worry, the ring is not lost, she has it. I gave it to her when I promised her we would get married one day. I should have told you."

"If she has it, then it's where it belongs."

Father and son met Victoria.

"We'd better get out now. Is everything ready?" said Don Alejandro.

"I think so. The fireworks are loaded in the wagon"

"Gracias a Dios, I was sick of the smell you left with gunpowder while you were testing."

zzZzz

Don Alejandro took Victoria in the carriage and Diego was driving the wagon, so they couldn't talk on the way. They arrived at the ceremony just in time. When it finished, they greeted some of their acquaintances, and the groom´s father urged them to take the carriages and go to the hacienda, where they will celebrate the wedding. They entered the room, where several of the guests claimed the two of the Vega. Victoria couldn't help but feel a little upset when she realized that it was mostly young women who came to talk to Diego.

Soon Diego approached with two drinks. "I was able to escape them," he murmured, offering her one of the cups with his best smile. "Can I have the first dance?"

"Of course." she said.

After dinner the dance began. Victoria hoped they could talk, but it was impossible. Everyone seemed to be looking at them. She began to get impatient, though he seemed very calm. However, when in a change of couple they re-adopted the posture for the dance, by touching his arm and his shoulder she realized he was tense.

After several dances the musicians took a break. She had separated from Diego, because it would have been unacceptable for them to only dance with each other all night. Then she met doña Julia, who had been friends with her mother "Victoria, dear, good to see you. Every day you remind me more of your mother."

"Thank you, doña Julia, you are very kind."

Victoria tried to find Diego in the room, but he wasn't in sight. Doña Julia noticed. "You seem a little distracted. Where is that handsome companion of yours, the one that makes you the envy of the other bachelorettes?" She pointed to two ladies who spoke to each other and who had avoided approaching to greet Victoria.

"If you mean don Diego, he and I are just friends."

"For it will not be for lack of interest on his part, for he could not be more aware of you during the ceremony. And I'd say this time you didn't seem uncomfortable with his attention during the dance."

"Were you watching us?"

"I'm old and I have few distractions. In any case, I wasn't the only one. This is a small town and gossip is common. I'm afraid lately those who talk about you, don Diego and Zorro are the most interesting, but I wouldn't worry too much. Over time they always end up finding something new and the rest is forgotten. I'll leave you there. I want to say hello to Padre Benitez."

Don Alejandro was talking to don Miguel when another caballero approached him. Looking to where Victoria was dancing with an acquaintance, he remarked in a mocking voice. "I don't understand your child's interest in marrying that woman, being able to have her without walking down the aisle."

Several of the other men smiled when they heard the comment. Don Alejandro didn't let himself be provoked. That man was the father of one of the young women Diego had ignored for years. "I think you're completely wrong with the señorita." he said categorically.

"The señorita welcomes Isabel Fuentes, a well-known courtesan from Guadalajara, in her tavern. Those eyes are unmistakable. She's still a very beautiful woman despite the time that's passed. With the age she is, I suppose she comes to organize a business in the tavern halfway with the owner."

Don Alejandro wanted to counter that dreadful rumor. He turned to Don Raimundo in an assured voice. "I suppose the woman you refer to with such little respect is doña Carmen Solano. You should know you're wrong again. I've known her for a long time and she's the widow of one of my army friends, major Andrés Millán, who died a little over a year ago in Venezuela. Unfortunately, his economic situation was not good and he has only been able to bequeath his widow a small income. She turned to me for advice, and I told her that if she came here I could help her find a house that would fit her needs. She hopes to be able to lead a discreet life, and I would have preferred not to talk about her narrowness if it had not been to counter that outrageous lie that you just told."

"You are wrong, don Alejandro. I'm sure that woman is what I say."

"I wonder what makes you an expert connoisseur of Guadalajara's courtesans. I will not doubt your authority on the subject, but with regard to the lady I must insist that I answer for her identity. I went to her wedding, visited her husband for years and although we distanced ourselves when he went to Venezuela I am absolutely sure that she is who she claims to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I must attend to my son's companion."

Don Alejandro approached Victoria. "Sorry we left you alone. Diego's preparing some fireworks. The bride has never seen them and don Pedro wanted to have a detail with her."

After a while Don Pedro spoke aloud: "Don Diego has prepared us a surprise, go out and see it."

Victoria went out with the other guests and Don Alejandro made a suggestion. "I advise you to stay right here, a little behind I´m sure you have good views." and came forward to talk to the groom's father.

Rockets soared into the sky and with a roar emerged sparks of colors. Victoria was fascinated and did not realize that Diego had approached and was by her side until he spoke to her. "Victoria, what I have to tell you…"

"So this is where everyone has gone. What's that noise?" said a voice over them.

Diego looked up at the sky and grumbled: "I can not believe it." Seeing his face, Victoria couldn't help but chuckle, though the sound of the rockets dulled the sound. Doña Julia stared at the sky near them until she finally passed by, by then the fireworks were over and everyone returned to the room to retreat to their homes.

Señor Gonzalez and his wife, who lived in Los Angeles, kindly offered to accompany Victoria to the tavern insisting that they did not believe a word of what was said about her. She was sorry she couldn't talk to Diego, but she was sure the opportunity would arise.

She knocked on doña Carmen's door. "Come in and tell me."

"There's not much to tell."

"Didn't he tell you?"

"He tried, but they didn't lose sight of us, and when we finally seemed to be alone during the fireworks they interrupted him again."

"I can't believe it. I suppose you are impatient."

"Partly yes, but It seems to me that he is having a hard time, and he deserves to suffer a little."

Doña Carmen looked at her a little astonished. "That's a little cruel. I like your style."


	12. In the Pantry

**Chapter 12. In the pantry.**

The next day Diego dressed and had breakfast quickly, visibly nervous.

"Are you going to the village?" His father asked.

"I have to talk to her."

"The tavern is still full of soldiers."

"I'll find a way."

"I'm going with you, maybe I can distract some," said his father, eager to help.

"As you wish."

"Come on, cheer up, she´d probably already know."

zzZzz

Arriving at the square they met padre Benitez. "Diego, my son, it's good to see you. I have to ask you for advice on a matter."

Diego and his father exchanged a glance. Diego seemed discouraged, but he took a deep breath and turned to the priest. "Padre. How can I help you?"

Don Alejandro simply said. "I'll wait for you inside."

Victoria saw him as soon as he walked in. "Isn't Diego coming?"

Don Alejandro seemed to detect some distress in her voice and it took him struggled to avoid a smile. "The padre has asked him for help, and you know how he is, he couldn't refuse. Sometimes I get the feeling that he's always helping someone."

"True." she said decisively. "Since he likes to be useful so much and he's been fluttering around me for days, tell him to come to the kitchen because I'm looking for a jar that I think I left at the top of a shelf in the pantry and now I can't reach."

Don Alejandro responded in a somewhat exaggerated casual tone. "Of course, I'm sure he can give you a hand."

Doña Carmen was sitting at a table having breakfast. "Good morning Don Alejandro."

"Good morning. Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Of course not, go ahead." Don Alejandro sat down and looked at her inquisitively. She nodded in disguise much better than he did. "She already knows." she confirmed quietly by covering her mouth with the cup of coffee. Don Alejandro smiled.

Diego crossed paths with Sergeant Mendoza at the door. "Be careful, Don Diego, señorita Victoria has asked for you, and today she is in a very bad mood."

"Thank you for the advice." was his reply.

"Diego, Victoria says if you can help her reach a few jars in the kitchen." his father told him with ill-disguised enthusiasm. Doña Carmen gave him a little kick under the table before he could say anything else.

Diego crossed the curtain separating the main room from the kitchen and saw Victoria staring at him for a couple of seconds before saying energetically. "Let's see if you can get me down that stupid jar." and pointed to the pantry.

Diego followed her there and went in after her. They were very close together because there was very little space between the shelves. "It's narrow." he murmured. He was getting pretty nervous. She smiled without him being able to see her.

Victoria was ahead and pointed to a shelf right in front of her. "Look, there are several jars up there. Do you think you can take them?" she said, turning to him and staring at him.

Diego stretched his arm over her to reach them. He had to get even closer. "I've been trying for three days... to tell you..." Diego began to say in a very low voice and somewhat trembling.

Victoria wasn't able to wait any longer. "That you are Zorro" she interrupted him in a whisper.

"That's right." he added with a sigh. "This green one here?" then said loudly, and then he lowered his voice again. "I wanted to tell you at a romantic dinner, in the cave where I asked for your hand or in the light of the fireworks, but everything went wrong and it had to be in a pantry." His gaze was so tender that Victoria almost forgot to stay mad at him.

"No, it's not this one." she said almost screaming.

Another voice got into the pantry. "Where is my breakfast?"

Victoria was startled and made a gesture of impatience. "Ya va!" she yelled, and looking at him with determination, she added quietly: "Stay exactly where you are, Diego de la Vega. Don't you dare sneak away."

"I don't sneak away," he said, pretending to be offended.

"You do it all the time!" she retorted out without raising her voice.

"Not when I'm Diego."

She came out as he kept dropping jars that, judging by the layer of dust they had, they should have been up there for years.

She came right back. "Your father and doña Carmen are distracting the alcalde."

"Yes, she discovered me right away."

"I think she's known it since she saw you in the kitchen, but she won't say anything."

"I know, I've talked to her."

"What are we going to do now?" she asked again in a murmur.

Steps were heard near the pantry. "Is it any of these I've taken?" he said aloft.

"Wait till I look." she answered in the same tone.

Whispering again, he said, "Just like I told you Victoria, I love you and wish that we have a life together. I hope you can forgive me for hiding so long who I am and how I feel about you. As Diego I can marry you and give you a home. My greatest wish is for us to get married as soon as possible, but there are still more things I have to tell you and I may have to wait to ask you again when you know everything."

"No!" she whispered firmly. He opened his eyes, surprised. "Whatever you have to tell me, I'll marry you." she said.

"You scared me!" he said, trying to contain a nervous laugh.

"I didn´t do on purpose, but you deserve it for having deceived me for years." Then she added, raising her voice, "Well, it's none of these, but I think there's one more jar up there."

"Come to the hacienda this afternoon with any excuse. We will be able to speak without interruptions," he proposed in a pleading tone.

"No interruptions? That would be a novelty. Well, I have to return the earrings to your father."

"I can almost reach it." Diego said aloft. Then again in whispers he asked. "Is there a bottle you don't mind breaking?" She looked at him strangely. "I'm supposed to be clumsy." He added.

"Ah, of course! Well, that one you've got in your hand." she said.

"Argh, a spider!" He shouted in a somewhat shrill voice. Then he smashed the jar into the ground. "Sorry Victoria! Did I hurt your foot?"

She was on the verge of a fit of laughter, but managed to restrain herself. He beckoned for them to come out.

"I'm fine, Diego, but you better get out of my kitchen before you break something else," she said outside the pantry trying to look angry.

When he returned to the living room, the alcalde laughed at him. "I see, Diego, I think the only thing you get is dirt on your fancy clothes."

Diego brushed the dust off his sleeve, saying "Maybe next time." and turned to his father who was accompanied by doña Carmen.

"Diego. Do you know doña Carmen?" said Don Alejandro.

"We had already met on other occasions. Nice to see you again," Diego replied by sitting next to his father. Don Alejandro asked him quietly. "Have you been able to talk to her?"

"We were surrounded by people." he replied with a neutral expression evading the question as he looked at the woman. "I'm going back to the hacienda. Will you come with me?"

"If you don't mind, I'll stay and finish my lemonade."

Diego looked at him a little strange, but he didn't ask. When he left, Don Alejandro turned to doña Carmen. "Thank you again for your help. You're very shrewd."

"Not as much as your madcap son, I'm afraid, but I do what I can. You know he's hiding something from you. Don't you?"

Don Alejandro looked again at his son, who was just coming out the door. Then he addressed her. "Do you think he's a madcap?"

"Absolutely. What was he thinking when he dressed up like that? To do this, you need to be a little out of your mind. Why did you let him?"

"I didn't know. He told me just under a month ago. How did you know?"

"Height, complexion, eye color, intonation, way of walking…"

Don Alejandro was smiling, but remembering what he wanted to tell her, he got serious and she looked at him worried. "I must tell you something that happened last night at the party. I beg you not to be offended. The words I'm going to use aren't mine." he said.

Doña Carmen paled slightly, confirming the suspicions of Don Alejandro. "Go ahead, nothing you tell can offend me if you're honest with me."

"One of the gentlemen stated that your name actually is Isabel Fuentes, and that he knew you…"

Doña Carmen interrupted him. "Please, don´t go on." she seemed desolate, but kept her composure. "I have not intended to harm señorita Escalante. I'll leave here on the next stage."

"Does she know?"

"She suspected it as soon as she saw me. With your son he may have fallen into the trap, like everyone else, but she´s not a simpleton."

"From what I've seen, she and you are friends."

"I told you that I greatly appreciate Victoria."

"We have that in common. Besides, I trust her judgment. If she knows your past and still believes you are worthy to stay here, I will not question her decision."

"But if I stay, I provoque rumors that could hurt her. It's clear I have to go."

"I don't think it's necessary, I said that you are Carmen Solano, the widow of my friend Andrés Millán, who died in Venezuela in the summer of last year. I told them I'm helping you because your economic situation is precarious. They may think I'm taking the favor, but I thought it was better than the other alternative."

"Then you knew immediately that that man was telling the truth."

"Years ago I was in Guadalajara and I saw you at the theater. One of my acquaintances informed me of who you were, even though they didn't introduce us. He told me it was a shame that you were no longer available because a gentleman was keeping you. When I saw you here I thought it was just a resemblance, but Don Raimundo was very sure."

"Knowing it was true, why you invented that story, to protect Victoria?"

"Well, not just her. You are helping us."

"And you could not resist going out in my defense, even though you knew I was not a lady. Now I understand about your son. He's just like you."

"I don´t think so, he's gone quite far beyond."

"You also risk something. Helping me jeopardizes your reputation."

"I'm a widower, and even if it's unfair, my reputation doesn't look too bad because I might have female company. It's yours that I'm afraid could resent. You are free to stay or leave."

"What if anyone finds out I'm not your friend's widow?"

"As I told you, they lived in Venezuela, she was also called Carmen and they had been married for so many years that I doubt anyone would remember her surname. She also died of the same fevers as her husband and they had no children. The risk seems very small to me."

She looked at him intensely. "And what would you like me to do?"

"I´d like if you stay, of course. I was going to miss the conversations with you a lot. You are the only person I can talk to about my madcap son."

Doña Carmen smiled somewhat confused when she saw a smile on Don Alejandro's face. "I go home, see if for once I find out what Diego's up to. How do you know he was lying?"

"He didn't lie, he just didn't answer your question and let you draw your own conclusions."

"So that's how he does it. Thank you for the information." He said goodbye to her to return to the hacienda.

zzZzz

When Victoria and Pilar finished serving meals, they picked up all the dirty dishes and Victoria started sweeping the room. Doña Carmen approached her making sure no one could hear them. "Tell me what happened in that pantry. I'm on tenterhooks."

Victoria smiled. "I almost have to torture him, but at last he confessed. More or less." Doña Carmen looked at her strangely. "In the end, I said it, he just confirmed it."

"Finally, by your smile I'd say that's enough."

"As soon as I'm done with this, I'll go to the hacienda and return the earrings that don Alejandro lent me. They match the ring, but when he showed them to me, he didn't know I had the ring. It was a lot of fun."

"Yes, the classic situation where you know he knows it, but he doesn't know that you know it too, and doesn't know that you know that he knows it." Victoria blinked confusedly. Doña Carmen smiled when she saw her face and didn't want to tell her what don Alejandro had said to her. She didn't want to spoil her happiness. "Go to his side as soon as you can. I wanted to tell you something, but it can wait for your return."


	13. Revelations

**Chapter 13. Revelations.**

Back at the hacienda Diego, who had cleaned up and changed his clothes, practiced the piano energetically while his father sat reading.

"I hear a horse. Are we expecting a visitor?" Don Alejandro said, staring at Diego.

"Let's go and see." he answered in his most innocent voice.

Victoria got off her horse and held out the earrings to don Alejandro. "Thank you very much for lending them to me," she said. "They are wonderful."

"Come in, please," said Diego.

The soldier who was following her by order of the alcalde had no choice but to stay outside. They entered the house and Diego stood next to her.

Victoria looked towards Don Alejandro and Felipe, who had come after attending to Victoria's horse.

"Didn't you tell them?" she asked in surprise.

"I thought you would like to be present." he said with an enormous smile, holding her hand.

Don Alejandro and Felipe looked curiously and Diego said:

"In the pantry we had a little conversation, and I confirmed to Victoria that I have a certain fondness for fencing and black clothes." And after a little pause he added. "She has agreed to be my wife."

Don Alejandro couldn't help himself. "Well done, Diego!" he exclaimed, hugging Diego first and then Victoria. "Why didn't you tell me at the tavern?"

"Because you would have congratulated me and hugged me and buy a round." Don Alejandro agreed. Everyone laughed, and Diego added. "We will hide it until Victoria and Zorro break up and she agrees to marry me. Officially, I mean."

"Yes, of course, always complicating things," said Don Alejandro. "I'm sure you have a plan."

"Sure." replied Diego. "I'll tell you. But first I must show Victoria the secret passage in the house. I promised her."

Diego went to the chimney and activated the mechanism. The back opened up and with a gesture he invited Victoria in.

He entered behind her, Don Alejandro and Felipe stayed in the room. "We must give them time to talk."

Victoria recognized the place instantly. "So the stairs led up to the hacienda, and the food was prepared by your cook."

"Yes," answered Diego, "and I had to hide the clothes I had on that rack so you wouldn't recognize them." he said, pointing to a corner.

Diego stared at her, getting serious. "Were you very disappointed when you knew?"

"Disappointed"? No, a little angry. Well, very angry actually. And I had a hard time getting used to the idea. Sometimes I suspected you, but you always got me to dismiss it. How could I notice you if you were hiding all the time? Yesterday when I started thinking about it, I realized that I would be disappointed if Zorro were someone else, but I also thought that it was too much to ask to have both of you. I was very confused, until I spoke to doña Carmen and she confirmed it. Then, here at your house I saw the earrings and all my doubts disappeared."

"I tried to tell you at dinner. When you said it would have been possible for you to love me as Diego, I found the courage I needed. But you didn't believe me."

"I'm sorry, but at the time I barely understood what you were saying, and then the alcalde interrupted us and somehow I stopped thinking about it."

"I'm the one who has to apologize. I put you through this. I have to tell you something else. Remember that time we talked about the people who are no longer among us?"

"Yes, I remember it very well. It was after my mother's death."

"Then I told you I hadn't been able to see the dead for a long time. But that changed when I was in Spain. There I learned to see them again, and other things about me, like my ability to hide."

"So you do sneak out?"

"If you want to call it that..." said Diego with a smile. "I keep the people around me from seeing the truth about me, but over time it becomes harder to stop pretending. That's why it's been so hard for you to recognize me."

"But you had ways of convincing me, you could have mentioned the ring, or the cave... there are so many things that only you could have known that for sure you would have made it."

"It's not that simple, the magic I use has become very powerful over time. Especially in your tavern."

"Wait one moment. Have you bewitched my tavern?"

"I'm afraid so, I think that's why Dr. Wayne's potions worked better than they should."

"Was my behavior with the alcalde your fault?"

"Partly yes, I'm sorry."

"You said it was the effect of suggestion."

"Of course, I wouldn't admit to the alcalde that the magic works."

"That's why you didn't get mad at me."

"How could I be angry if I provoked it?"

"What if I drink the brew of passion?"

"I'd rather not think about it."

Victoria covered her eyes with her hand, amazed.

"I told you I had to tell you many more things," Diego said softly.

"What is most confusing to me is that you have told me now. You said we'd get married when you could take off your mask. What made you change your mind?"

"It was partly Gilberto. He tried to kill me, Diego, not Zorro, and I realized that even if I stopped wearing that mask, life would not be free of danger. My father had an influence too. When I told him, he found it hard to believe, but I was relieved to stop lying to him. Then we talked about you. He told me I should let you choose for yourself if you wanted to be my wife, and I knew he was right. I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long. By becoming Zorro I didn't mean to start a relationship with you, I had returned from Spain thinking that Zafira had abandoned me and I was convinced that it was too early to fall in love again, but it happened and when you risked your life for me, I knew it was too late, because you loved Zorro and not Diego."

"I remember that when I recovered, you, being Zorro, told me to marry Diego."

"I was confused. When you got hurt, I realized how much I loved you and I was about to stop being Zorro forever. I thought of talking to you as Diego, but I knew it would be useless."

"You said you found it hard to take off your mask."

"That's right, I've been hiding from you for so long that telling you the truth has been the hardest thing I've ever done."

"I always thought it would be Zorro who would tell me who he was, but I think it was better that way."

"My magic was blinding you, and I needed time to talk to you and explain everything. Besides, I'm more Diego than Zorro."

"I don't think so, you're both all the time, you just hide it too well and sometimes it's confusing even for you. The Diego you usually show is not you, but the other mask you were talking about. I'm worried you're lying so well, but now that I know who you are, I can start to love the man in the flesh."

He was thrilled to hear those words. "I won't lie to you again, you have my word." He approached her, and Victoria realized he was nervous again. For a moment she thought he wouldn't dare kiss her, but he just needed a little time to make up his mind. "Much better without the mask." she said when they broke the kiss.

They joined the others in the living room. Diego sat down in front of them.

Don Alejandro was the first to speak. "Diego, doña Carmen knows your secret. She seems to be reliable, but we hardly know her."

Victoria seemed worried. "I know she's only been here a short time, but I think she'll keep it a secret, too."

"I know, I talked to her. She's a very special person, and I can't fool her with my tricks. She can see through my veil. Plus, she can make other people realize the truth." He looked at Victoria. "That's why you started to believe I'm Zorro when you talked to her."

Don Alejandro seemed uncomfortable and Diego turned to him. "Father. Is there anything you want to say about her?"

"Well, yesterday Don Raimundo said she was a courtesan from Guadalajara. I improvised a story and say that she is the widow of my friend Colonel Millán, but she confirmed that Don Raimundo was right."

Diego looked at Victoria. "It can hurt your reputation and your business. Did you know that?"

"I knew it the day she arrived. But she told me that she had changed her life and gave me no reason to doubt her. Quite the contrary."

"It's true, son." Don Alejandro intervened. "With what she knows about you she could have blackmailed us or denounced you and claimed the reward, and yet she's only tried to help."

This time Victoria spoke. "Yesterday I was angry with you. If it wasn't for her, maybe someone would have figured out why."

Diego looked at them seriously. "I think we all agree on this, so we'll trust her, in any case I don't see that we have a choice." Then he changed the subject. "I've got something planned, and I'm going to need your help to make it happen. If it works, Diego and Zorro will be in the same place at the same time while Victoria and Zorro break up, and then as Diego I'll be there to comfort her. We'll need to rehearse the details and find a way to get some things to the tavern."

zzZzz

Don Raimundo entered the tavern as if it belonged to him, coldly went to one of Victoria's assistants to ask for a glass of wine and walked to the table where Carmen was reading a book and drinking an orange juice.

"Señora, what a pleasant surprise to find you here," he said sitting in front of her without waiting for an invitation.

She looked up at him serenely. "I'm afraid we haven't been introduced, señor."

"It hurts me that you don't remember me, Laura, after the times we've spent together."

"You're confusing me with someone else. My name is Carmen, not Laura."

"All right, if that's what you want, I'll call you Carmen this time."

"I beg you not to take such liberties with me, señor. If you'll excuse me..." and she looked back at the book, ignoring him.

"Listen, Carmen, I understand the need to be discreet, but a woman like you does not go unnoticed, and you'll be better accompanied by a gentleman who can help you in case of need. It's always good to have friends, especially in towns like this, where everyone knows each other."

"Señor, you're wasting your time with me. I'm not the person you're looking for."

"I'm not used to wasting my time with anyone, least of all a woman like you. If you're nice to me you can do very well here, but if not... You may think de la Vega will protect you, but if I tell the truth about you everyone will believe it. People are always willing to believe the worst version of stories."

She turned to him coldly. "Suppose, hypothetically, you found the woman you were looking for."

He smiled smugly. "I knew you'd be reasonable."

"Suppose this hypothetical woman would rather leave the village than submit to the humiliation of being nice to someone like you."

"Then that woman would have to leave immediately."

"Maybe, but if she's a low-life woman and she gets angry, before she leaves she might say a few things about the gentleman who tries to get her favors, like he likes to wear women's undergarments and get whipped with a riding crop."

"You wouldn't be able to, and besides no one would believe such a lie." he hissed.

"What does it matter what the truth is? You just said that people believe the worst version of a story. Besides, that hypothetical woman would have no relatives or property in this town, so she could go around wreaking havoc behind her, but the gentleman who is harassing her, can he say the same thing?" she smiled, but not exactly sweetly.

"I'll finish you off, bitch."

"I insist you're wrong about me, señor," she said, returning to her reading.

He rose abruptly, stretched out his jacket, and after leaving a few coins on the table walked out with long strides.

zzZzz

Victoria returned to the tavern shortly before sunset. Diego accompanied her and kissed her hand as he left her at the door. She came in to take care of dinner. It seemed that the place was getting active again even though the soldiers were still watching it.

This time it was Victoria who knocked on doña Carmen's door.

"Come in, I was expecting your visit. How did it go?"

Victoria smiled. "We've cleared up a lot of things."

"I'm happy for you," said the woman with a sad smile. "I'm afraid I won't be able to stay for your wedding. It's a pity, you're the funniest, most charming locos I've ever met, and I've met a lot of people."

"Don Alejandro told us what Don Raimundo said about you last night. Diego knows you recognized him and agrees to trust you. He says there's no choice, but he didn't seem worried. Besides, Don Alejandro defended you. He says you helped us and that he made up a story to contradict don Raimundo," she stared at her. "You have no reason to leave if you don't want to."

"You don't understand, Victoria, he's been here. He's threatening to spread the word all over the village if I don't do what he asks. Nothing can be the same after that. You're so generous you don't care, but everyone else is different."

"Some may believe Don Raimundo, but others will believe Don Alejandro."

"Don Alejandro and Don Diego do know for sure, and I'm convinced they despise me for it."

"They are not like the men you have known so far."

"Victoria, I know they're wonderful, but some things can't be changed."

"Carmen, stay, and if you see you're not treated like you used to be, you can leave. Give them a chance."

"You want me to stay?"

"You're my best friend, I think the only real friend I have. I want you to stay. If the situation gets worse, you can always leave."

"It's all right. I'll try."


	14. The Illusion

**Chapter 14. The illusion.**

Diego spent part of the night working on a cast of the bust he had made. In the morning Felipe went to the market to do some shopping while he located the soldiers who were guarding the outside of the tavern, and tried to listen to what they were saying. The next day, Victoria put a curtain in a corner of the tavern with the excuse of hiding some chairs behind it and having them at hand if necessary. She took the opportunity to ask the two soldiers inside to help her, and while they were distracted, Felipe entered through the back door carrying a sack of vegetables that he left with the other supplies. Victoria also set a table right in front of the curtain. Don Alejandro followed Diego's instructions to make a frame so that he could attach it to Tornado's saddle.

When doña Carmen came down from her room Diego gestured for her to sit with him.

"I need to talk to you about what we're going to do to break up Victoria and Zorro."

"Victoria told me the plan, but I'm worried about interfering. Maybe I shouldn't be here."

"I think it's better that you are here. Even if the others don't realize it, your opinion is important. Just as you can discover my secret, you can also help hide it."

"So. What do you want me to do?"

"Look at Zorro all the time, and concentrate on him being the real Zorro. Everyone else will believe it too."

"But it will be the real Zorro who is here."

"Yes, but someone might think he's an impostor. Your presence will make them rule it out."

"Do I have to say it out loud?"

"No, your conviction will be enough. Just keep your eyes on Zorro while it's happening. Can you do it?"

"It certainly doesn't seem very complicated."

"Then I'm counting on you. Thank you."

zzZzz

A day later everything seemed to be ready. In the late afternoon Diego and his father went to the tavern to have dinner there. Diego was limping and leaning on a cane.

"Oh, Diego! I can not believe it. What happened to you this time?" Victoria asked him worried.

"One of the colts got nervous when I was checking one of his hoofs and pushed me. My leg that broke several months ago has suffered from the blow, but in a few days I'll be fine."

"I don´t know why your father let you get near the horses. Come on, sit here, near the kitchen."

There were about twenty people in the main room. Doña Carmen was sitting at the closest table to the one they occupied, and don Alejandro greeted her politely before sitting down with Diego.

A little later, the alcalde appeared, with an air of sufficiency he greeted Don Alejandro and Diego. As he passed by doña Carmen, he looked at her appreciatively. She pretended not to have noticed, and as all the tables near the de la Vega's were occupied the alcalde had to sit a little apart from them.

"Well, it looks like business is picking up again. Let's see if the man we're all waiting for shows up. I don't think he'll last much longer without coming to see the señorita." the alcalde said.

At one point, Victoria approached don Alejandro and Diego's table with a heavy tray. Don Alejandro stood up to help her and Diego gestured to get up too.

"No, Diego, you'd better not get up. I'll take care of putting everything here. You have to take care of yourself." For a few moments Diego was hidden behind his father and Victoria. Diego was heard to say thank you and she returned to the kitchen.

A few moments later an object fell in the middle of the room, and with a click a cloud of smoke emerged. Zorro appeared on the upper floor. The alcalde called the soldiers, but Zorro neutralized their weapons with the whip and jumped down into the dining room, disarming the alcalde with little effort.

"Alcalde, I think that in these days that we have not seen each other you have not practiced with the sword, I find you more rusty than usual."

Doña Carmen had stood up from her chair and contemplated the scene with an expression between frightened and fascinated. She approached Don Alejandro, who also got up and, standing next to him, hid even more the space behind the table where Diego was sitting.

Victoria came out of the kitchen when she heard the noise and found herself in front of Zorro. She made no move to come closer. She was serious and looked worried.

"Señorita, your beauty moves me even more after long days without seeing you," he said. "I have had to stand alone with your memory, and it has hardly been enough."

She shook her head and turned to the table by the kitchen, avoiding his gaze. "You shouldn't have come. You know they were waiting for you, it's reckless. You put us all in danger."

"As far as I can see, in my absence something has changed between us and I think I understand why. You're right, it would have been wiser not to come, but I need to say you something. I've had time to think and I must ask your forgiveness. I promised that one day I would take off this mask and be your husband, but I have realized that there will always be someone who needs me and I cannot allow you to waste your life waiting for me." He took a little break. "I know there's a man who could give you what I can't afford." He walked up to her and looked at her. "If you think you can be happy with him, tell me and I'll leave."

She looked up, and with a decision she said. "There will always be a place for you in my heart, but it's time for this to become a beautiful memory and for me to start a family."

Zorro looked over to where Diego was still sitting. Most of the people in the tavern, including the mayor, looked away from Diego, who was looking back at Zorro. The only one still looking ahead was Doña Carmen, who was trying hard not to draw attention to herself. The masked man said, "He's a lucky man." Diego nodded, holding his gaze. Zorro kissed Victoria's hand and took two steps back. A new cloud of smoke filled the room and when it began to dissipate, he was back upstairs running to a back window. However, the smoke continued to occupy part of the room, floating near the floor, dense.

"After him!" shouted the alcalde.

Zorro came out of the upstairs window and used another smoke device to hide from the sight of the soldiers who were watching outside. So he went back in through another ground floor window, while Felipe, behind an adjoining building, patted Tornado on the back and sent him home with a dummy of Zorro on his saddle. When the soldiers saw the figure of the horse, they shouted, "There he goes," and ran to get their horses, but the false Zorro, on Tornado´s back, was already lost in the distance.

The room was still full of smoke and Victoria opened the kitchen door to ventilate. With the current the smoke moved in that direction completely covering Don Alejandro and Diego's table. Don Alejandro and Felipe, who had sneaked in through the kitchen door, struggled to get something behind the curtain while doña Carmen kept watch. Diego, for his part, had taken advantage of the general confusion to change his clothes behind the curtain, and helped to remove the mannequin that had been sitting on the chair for him.

When Victoria approached them again, Diego stood up and limped in front of her. At first he said nothing, took her by the hand. Then he spoke. "Victoria, you know that anything I can do for you, you just have to ask."

"Thank you, Diego, but now I need to be alone. If all of you would be so kind as to leave, I would like to close up early today," she said, addressing the customers.

They all came out of the tavern talking quietly except the alcalde, who, still inside the room, said, "It seems that Zorro has finally tired of her. I guess after getting what he wanted. However, I will not remove the surveillance yet. It could be one of his tricks."

Don Alejandro went to him, furious, but Diego held his arm. "Father, do not be provoked by his words. Victoria has asked us to leave."

Victoria finished packing up the kitchen, then put the chairs aside to sweep, putting several of them behind the curtain. She took the opportunity to make sure that Zorro's clothes, the doll dressed as Diego, and the wax bust were perfectly hidden behind the chairs and under another dusty curtain. The bust was so realistic that it gave her chills. He seemed to be looking at her with blue glass eyes.

She went to sleep feeling tired and sad, not knowing that at the hacienda Diego felt exactly the same way.


	15. Engagement Ring

**Chapter 15. Engagement ring**.

While Victoria was setting out the breakfasts, a chubby, smiling figure entered the tavern.

_Oh, no_. She thought. _Not her again_.

"How lucky you are! After what was said about you, that man has remained by your side. This time you have to listen to me. It's important that you get over the other one, or at least make it seem that way. You have to look happy every time he listens to you. He certainly deserves it."

For once Victoria was interested about what doña Maria was saying. She needed to make it look like she was now starting to think about Diego. She let her continue talking, although actually, the difficult thing would have been to shut her up.

"He adores you, it's clear. He didn´t believe the gossip. You'd be ungrateful if you didn't accept his offer as soon as possible."

"Doña Maria, he didn't make me any offer," Victoria said just before she realized it was a mistake. Doña María was thrilled at the possibility of giving her opinion on the matter.

"Maybe not yet, it's natural after all the times you've scared him off, but what you have to do now is encourage him. Let him come to you, but don't be too forward, because as big as Don Diego is, he's pretty shy. He has to look like he's the one taking the initiative. But, well, although shy, he is also a man, so by putting yourself within his reach and letting him have his way, I´m sure it will be enough. It always is. Also talk to him about wanting a family. Well, you said that last night. That was a good call on your part."

Victoria had enough. Hearing that Diego was shy had given her pause. She also wondered how doña Maria knew what she said if she had not been there. Seeing Victoria's face, doña Carmen came to the rescue. "Good morning," she said. "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Carmen Solano."

Doña Maria turned to her in surprise. Because of her attitude, doña Carmen had no doubt that she had heard and believed the rumors about her. What else could one expect from the biggest gossip in the village. Doña María greeted her, but only because she found no other option.

Diego walked in the door and the three women turned around. Doña María was euphoric. She looked at Victoria with intention and said goodbye.

"Good morning, Victoria."

"Good morning. How's your leg?"

"Much better. Do you have a moment to talk?"

"I guess so." And they moved to the corner table, away from the soldiers who were still guarding the premises.

"Did doña Maria say something interesting for a change?" Diego asked discreetly.

"She says I need to pretend I've forgotten Zorro as soon as possible so you can make me an offer. She said I should... What did she say last time? Tighten the noose."

"You don't need any noose to catch me."

"Of course not, you're not a calf."

After a little laugh Diego spoke. "Well, we have to decide how long it will take for you to move on." Diego got serious and then said, "It may seem strange to you, but I'm sad," he paused for a moment, reflecting. "Courting you as Zorro was exciting. I feel like I've lost something that mattered a lot to me. Do you think that's absurd?"

She looked him in the eye when he said, "I feel the same way. I'm going to miss that."

Both were silent for a few moments. "Well, in a few days I'll officially ask you to marry me, although I'll have to think of something. Doña María said about me that I don't have a romantic bone in my body and if I asked you again here in the tavern, I would be proving her right. For the time being, I'll keep giving you presents and inviting you to the hacienda. I'll dedicate a poem to you in the newspaper. I will play for you," he lowered his voice and looked at her. "I'll stare at you until you get nervous." That last one made her laugh. "The usual in these cases." It ended on a more casual note.

"You promised no guitars," she reminded him.

"Right, if I want to try a serenade I'll have to use the violin again. Let's see if I'm more successful."

"I have to get back to work," she said, getting out of her chair.

He, too, got up, held her hand for a few moments before kissing her again, and left.

When he came out of the door, Doña Carmen went to Victoria. "Last night was the best performance I've seen in years, but I'm curious to know what the rest of you saw, because the bust Diego made looked very much like him, but when they rehearsed it the day before, I could see clearly how Felipe and your father moved the doll."

"I looked at him for a moment and saw Diego sitting there, as clearly as I'm seeing you. It was very strange."

"In any case, as much as I like it here, I think it's time for me to go to the house I've rented."

"Can't you stay at the tavern a few more days?"

"I want to organize the house to move. I'll stay another night, but tomorrow I'll move out without fail. I'll need you to find me a porter to carry my trunk."

"I'm going to miss having you here."

"Well, I'll be a couple of blocks away, we can meet whenever you want. I also suspect that soon you won't be sleeping in the tavern either. You'll have a better bed and good company." They both laughed.

zzZzz

The next day Diego gave Victoria a mantilla, made of a fine and soft fabric like Victoria had never had before. He was trying to spend more time in the tavern, taking advantage of her comings and goings to talk. She did not want to show how happy she was to see him, but tried to look moderately happy to have him around. It was complicated to participate in Diego's conspiracies and entanglements.

zzZzz

Two weeks later, at siesta time, Diego came to the tavern and greeted Victoria. They moved away from the soldier who was guarding the tavern so they could talk.

"Can you come with me for a while?"

She smiled at the sight of him. "I have until sunset, I must prepare dinner."

"It will be enough. If you'll do me the favour of coming, I'd like to go for a ride with you." he said, "We'll need the ring I gave you."

Her face lit up. "Do you think it's time?"

"I can't wait any longer, I'm counting the days until you're my wife."

She went upstairs to put on more comfortable clothes for riding. She also took the ring out of the double bottom of the drawer and put it in a pocket in her skirt.

A few minutes later they were riding towards a small valley in the lands of the de la Vega. A soldier was following them, but he didn't dare approach them, and Diego decided that his presence was not a problem. They stopped by a stream, whose vegetation put a note of color in the arid landscape. Diego helped Victoria off her horse and untied a blanket from the saddle to spread it on the ground and sit next to her.

"It reminds me of the trip to Santa Paula and the night we spent at the mill."

He nodded.

"Am I wrong in remembering that you were about to tell me something?" she asked, curious.

"You are not wrong, but I did not dare. To talk to you I needed a kind of courage that I lacked then."

"What could you possibly be afraid of?"

"Of disappointing you, not living up to the legend I had created. Afraid of you realizing that I'm just a boring guy in a costume."

"Disappoint me, of course. Maybe you disappoint me by being too handsome." They both laughed, though he seemed a little uncomfortable. "Or too rich. Although the worst thing may be how you play the violin. I don't know if I can overlook that." Victoria blushed a little when she remembered what doña Carmen said about the musicians, but she hoped he wouldn't notice.

The sun began to set and Diego got up. "I need you to give me something. I'll give it back to you right away."

She took out the ring she was keeping and secretly gave it to him.

He knelt down in front of her, who was still sitting on the blanket: "Victoria, you are the most beautiful, brave and generous woman I have ever known. Will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

She accepted more excitedly than she expected considering that it was the third time he had asked her. When he put the ring on her finger, she was almost crying. Diego noticed and joked. "I love this ring, I don't know if you know it was my mother's." She now laughed and cried at the same time. "There are even some matching earrings. I have to show them to you one of these days." Then he stood up saying. "I looked a little silly kneeling there." And he helped Victoria up, then hugged her. She calmed down with the hug and they kissed, this time without worrying about anyone seeing them.

"Now you can show it all you want. Tomorrow we'll go to church together and on the way out we'll tell Padre Benitez we're getting married," said Diego.

"They'll have something to gossip about, no doubt about it," she replied.

They said goodbye in front of the tavern. Pilar saw the ring immediately and congratulated her effusively, which guaranteed that the news would spread through the whole town in a few minutes. Victoria took off her ring before continuing to work, because she did not want to risk spoiling it. However, she showed it to doña Carmen when she went to the tavern for dinner. Both of them hugged each other while doña Carmen congratulated her sincerely.

zzZzz

In the church the next day Victoria sat next to Diego, wearing the ring and mantilla he had given her. Before leaving, they went to talk to the priest, who was happy with the news, although he seemed a little worried.

"I'll publish the first banns next week, and you can get married in three months."

"Usually you wait three weeks. Why so long, Padre?" Don Alejandro asked.

Addressing Victoria and Diego, the priest answered. "I want you to think it over. It is a very important step. Then there is no turning back."

Diego and Victoria had to settle, though they were disappointed.

When they left, they saw Doña Carmen, who had occupied one of the pews at the back of the church.

"Buenos días, doña Carmen." Diego greeted her politely. She seemed a little uncomfortable.

"Buenos días." Don Alejandro added, smiling. "Have you settled into your new house yet?"

"Thank you, Don Alejandro. I've finished putting everything to my taste."

"Excellent, then you'll be free to come to the hacienda next Saturday for dinner. Now that Victoria and Diego are engaged it would be nice if you could join her."

She seemed disconcerted by the show of kindness. She looked at Diego expecting to see disapproval, but he was smiling too. "Of course, Don Alejandro, I'd be delighted to accompany you."

Meanwhile, Felipe mingled with the people. The others were convinced that he was completely deaf, so they spoke as if he were not there.

When he met with the others Diego noticed that he seemed worried. "Felipe. Is there a problem?"

Felipe shook his head in disbelief, Diego knew something was wrong, but decided not to insist.

zzZzz

In the afternoon at the hacienda Diego asked him again. "Felipe, please tell me if they said something bad."

Felipe started signaling. He seemed to increase the speed of his gestures as he went along with his story. Diego in turn was becoming more and more serious.

"Thanks for telling me, we knew there would be rumors, but it's worse than I expected."

Don Alejandro also seemed worried when he heard it. "What do they say?"

"That Victoria is in a great hurry to marry me because she's expecting a child from Zorro, that the breakup was a cover and that they plan to remain lovers afterwards."

Don Alejandro's face was also darkened. Diego continued talking.

"The first part doesn't worry me, because time will prove it's a falsehood. The rest in an absurd way is true, so I think it will be better to let it go. If Zorro comes to Victoria's defense, it could be even worse and as Diego I can't fight back."

"The only good thing is that no one even remotely suspects you of being Zorro. That image of weakness harms your honor, but protects the secret." said Don Alejandro.

"It is a sacrifice I must make to marry Victoria and also to be able to continue helping the weakest. All these rumors may still be coming from the alcalde, in an attempt to provoke Zorro. He has no qualms about hurting Victoria and me as long as he gets what he wants," reflected Diego.

When Felipe left the room, Don Alejandro addressed Diego. "I don't know if you've noticed, but Felipe has understood perfectly the meaning of all these rumors." Diego seemed baffled. "Now Felipe is your son, and he is no longer a child so you should talk to him about the things of life," added Don Alejandro. "Good luck."


	16. Now that I know it

**Chapter 16. Now that I know it.**

Don Alejandro was going through some accounts in the library, when Diego came over with a letter in his hand. "I consulted an attorney about the mission's problem with Don Luis' inheritance. I must go and inform Padre Benitez, and I will eat with Victoria at the tavern."

Padre Benitez was attending to some parishioners, so Diego waited a moment sitting on a bench in the garden. The priest approached him smiling.

"Padre, I have good news. The lawyer I consulted confirmed to me that without compulsory heirs, don Luis' nephews cannot contest the will, and that his assets will go to the mission as stipulated in his last will and testament.

"I'm so glad, son. That money will do a lot of good."

"I know it will be in good hands," said Diego, holding out his hand to the Padre as a farewell.

"I wanted to talk to you about a personal matter. I noticed that you would have preferred a closer date for your wedding, but it's better this way. I know you are sure, but I think Victoria needs some time to think seriously about her feelings. Besides, I don't know if you are aware of the rumors that are circulating about her. I'm concerned."

"I heard something, but I don't believe what they're saying," Diego replied cautiously.

"I don't believe what they say either, but Victoria is a passionate woman. Are you sure you can be happy together? Your character is so different that in time you could grew apart."

"On the contrary, I sincerely believe that in time she will love me as much as I love her."

"I wish with all my heart that you are right," said Padre Benitez. He recalled some of Diego's confessions, in which he recognized how much he wanted the woman he was in love with and thought that perhaps there was more passion in that man than he seemed, but he was still not completely convinced about her.

zzZzz

The next Saturday Victoria went with the cart to doña Carmen's house. Doña Carmen was wearing a more elegant dress than usual, although she remained discreet. Victoria saw that she was nervous. "Do you think it's too daring?" asked Doña Carmen anxiously pointing to the dress.

"Certainly not, it's very appropriate for a widow."

"Who else is going to come to the dinner?"

"There will be the hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Vargas and us. It's just a little gathering."

"The Vargas are that old couple who greeted Don Alejandro the other day after Mass?"

"The same. They are old family friends, and they always sign up to hear Diego play the piano or violin. They're very fond of music. They're very nice."

"What if they heard the rumors about me?"

"Well, it will be the same as if they heard what they say about Diego and me, that they won't have believed it. I really don't think you have anything to worry about."

They arrived at the hacienda and one of Don Alejandro's men took care of Victoria's cart. Don Alejandro and Diego went out to meet them. Diego offered his arm to Victoria and don Alejandro to doña Carmen.

They went into the room and don Alejandro introduced doña Carmen to the Vargas. Both treated her with courtesy, as if they knew nothing of any rumors.

After dinner Diego sat down at the piano and played two very difficult pieces. Doña Carmen listened attentively, appreciating the nuances of his interpretation. Then Don Alejandro replaced him by playing a simpler piece. "I'm afraid my ability cannot compare with that of my son."

"I think you played beautifully, Don Alejandro. I didn't know you were a performer, too." doña Carmen said.

"A simple amateur. You seem to appreciate music. Can you play too?"

"Yes, a little, but compared to your son I don't intend..."

"Come here, maybe you know some of these pieces. I'd love to hear it."

Doña Carmen approached the piano and saw that among the scores they had, was that of her favorite piece. She could not resist. It had been so long since she had played the piano...

He sat down and put her hands on the keyboard. At first she noticed her fingers were somewhat stiff, but within a minute she was playing the Moonlight Sonata, concentrating on sound and rhythm. When she finished the others applauded sincerely. "I think I have some competition," Diego said cheerfully.

"Not a chance, Don Diego," she replied.

"Come on, don't be modest," replied Don Alejandro, smiling.

As they returned, Victoria noticed that doña Carmen was very quiet. "Aren't you going to make some sharp remarks about the evening?"

"It's been a lovely evening. Everyone's been nice to me."

"It seems to surprise you."

"They know what I am."

"Yes, they know you're an educated and charming woman."

"That's not what I mean."

"Yes, they know what you did too. How many times do I have to tell you they don't care?" But doña Carmen was still not convinced.

zzZzz

The days passed very slowly. Although it had only been four weeks for Victoria, it had seemed like an eternity. She headed to the hacienda in the middle of the afternoon. She had left the cook and Pilar in charge of dinner. She was about to start a new life with Diego and wanted to distance herself from her work at the tavern.

There were dark clouds on the horizon, and increasing gusts of wind brought the smell of wet soil, but the hacienda was close by and there was no danger of the storm catching her on the way.

Felipe received her and they managed to communicate by sign. Victoria was learning to understand his gestures and they practiced whenever they could. Don Alejandro had gone out, and Diego was not there either. Felipe wrote a Z in the air and she understood immediately.

Soon a terrible storm broke out. The wind was howling and the rain was pounding the ground. Victoria began to feel worried and decided to go down to Zorro's cave to wait for him.

zzZzz

The air pulled at his cape and threatened to take his hat. Tornado snorted, uneasy at the smell of the storm in the air. Zorro slapped his neck to calm him.

"You're right, viejo amigo, we'd better get home as soon as possible."

He headed west, and after a few minutes it started to rain. In a few moments it became an intense rain, which rumbled on the ground and made it difficult to see. He spurred his horse on, knowing that the stream would start to grow quickly and that if he did not reach the ford in a short time he would have to make a detour in order to get a less dangerous place to cross.

As he approached, he heard screams and the whinnying of a terrified horse. As he took the bend in the road he finally saw them. A wagon was stuck in the middle of the ford, while a man, dipped in the river up to his waist, tried to pull the reins while the horse kept moving his head sharply. Zorro saw the water coming down harder and harder and realized that there were people in the wagon.

"Come down from there, the river is rising!"

A man, a woman and a girl turned to him, startled by the sight of a masked man shouting at them. Diego didn't recognize them, but there was no time to think about anything else. He approached Tornado and extended his hand to the woman, who stood up abruptly when she realized that the wagon was starting to float and be dragged through the water.

"Take my hand," he shouted, not understanding why she did not use her hands to hold on, until she saw the baby in her arms.

"Maldita sea!" he mumbled, and guiding Tornado with his legs, made him stand by the side of the wagon and grabbed the woman by the waist, sitting her sideways on the saddle. The water made it difficult to hold her, so he decided to take off one of his gloves to prevent her from slipping. He managed to get to the shore and leave her safe, then turned around and saw the wagon moving downstream, crashing into the rocks and pushing the horse as it went. The girl was standing in the wagon, pulling her skirt, which had been caught in one of the woods, with her eyes full of fear.

Tornado turned on himself and went back into the river, which now almost reached his neck. The man had stopped fighting with the horse and climbed into the wagon, crawling towards the girl, whom he freed by tearing her skirt in one go. Diego held out his hand to them, but then the wagon abruptly detached itself from the rock that was blocking its way and tipped over. The man and the girl fell into the water.

Diego released a roll of rope he was wearing in his harness and threw it to the man, who managed to catch him. Tornado lost his footing and had to start swimming to the shore. The river rose sharply again, and a branch floating in the current impacted Zorro, causing him to fall from his horse.

The current dragged him to a much deeper part of the river. He struggled under the water, and trying to keep cool, he took off the cape that pulled him to the bottom. A whirlpool caught him, and he felt a strong impact that emptied his lungs. Dazed, he realized that he did not know which way was up.

He tried to keep his eyes open and look around. He could barely see a gray, diffuse clarity in front of him. He felt his heartbeat rumble in his ears, time seemed to stand still as he tried to move his arms in a liquid that seemed thick as molasses. He felt the river bottom under his feet. As the cold seemed to engulf him, a black form began to take shape, a horse's head surrounded by mane that waved gently under the water. He saw two eyes glowing like embers, and Tornado pushed him to the surface.

zzZzz

Victoria was waiting at the cave. She entertained herself by reading a book by candlelight. The noise of the storm was coming from the door of the hill. She thought it would be night, although she could not be sure down there. She thought of going up to check, when the back door opened and Diego rode in on Tornado. They were both soaking wet. She realized that his hat, cape and one glove were missing.

"Victoria. How lucky that you're here! Please take a blanket, pass me another one and help me dry Tornado or he'll get sick."

Victoria did as he asked, although he too seemed chilled. His lips were almost blue. He climbed down from his horse with difficulty, without moving his left arm, and groaned as he put his right leg on the ground.

As soon as they had finished tending to the horse he leaned against the wall, his breath shaking and shivering.

She picked up another blanket from a bed in the corner of the cave. "Take off those soaked clothes immediately or you'll catch pneumonia," she said with concern.

He nodded and for the first time Victoria took off his mask. She felt a little strange doing it. Then she helped him take off his shirt, which was torn, and immediately threw the blanket over his shoulders. She helped him to the chair, where she made him sit down to take off his boots and socks.

He was shivering non-stop and she went to take off his pants. "I'll do it." he said somewhat confusedly.

"As you wish, but hurry up. You have to dry yourself as soon as possible."

He looked a little embarrassed as he took off the rest of his clothes trying to cover himself with the blanket. She thought it a bit silly for him to worry about something like that, but turned to Tornado so as not to make him more uncomfortable.

He finished wrapping himself up, and she came over to rub him vigorously with the blanket trying to warm him up. She helped him sit up in bed. "I'll go up and fix you something hot," she said and ran upstairs.

She met Felipe in the kitchen. "Diego's cold, he needs hot tea. Can you take him down to the cave?" He nodded and started taking what he needed while she went back to Diego's side.

He was sitting on the bed, face down in his hands, sobbing and shaking.

"Diego!" she exclaimed and ran to his side. "What's the matter with you?"

I could barely hear his voice. "I couldn't hold them."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The current dragged the cart, and I saved the mother and baby. The child was trapped in the cart, her father tried to get her to safety, but he couldn't and I... didn't get there in time. I couldn't reach them."

"I'm sorry," she said tenderly.

"They were swept away by the river."

She hugged him without saying anything else. After a while she parted from him and looked into his eyes. "I'm sure there was nothing more you could have done."

"It wasn't enough," he said in a tormented voice.

She hugged him again, overwhelmed by the realization of the danger he had run. "You're exhausted. You need to rest."

Diego seemed to calm down a bit. She began to feel the heat that was coming off even through the blanket. "Are you feeling better?" she asked.

"A little." he said. Looking at her he seemed a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I've put you in a difficult situation."

Felipe arrived with a steaming pot and some cups. Victoria got up to bring a small table. As she returned to him, she noticed the bruises and scratches on his arms and back. His left shoulder was cut pretty deep and bruised. Felipe also saw it and went to a shelf, where he took material to clean and bandage the wound. He offered the bandages to Victoria.

"Let's get that shoulder wound dressed. What happened?"

"Something hit me and threw me against the rocks, I think a log that was carried away by the current, but I couldn't see it well," he said in a tired voice. "The next thing I remember, Tornado was pushing me out of the river."

When she saw Felipe treating Diego, Victoria assumed that it was not the first time he had been injured, and with discouragement she realized that it would not be the last. _I'll have to learn how to dress wounds_, she said to herself.

Felipe indicated that he would go and fetch Don Alejandro from the neighboring hacienda. Victoria stayed by his side and bandaged him according to his instructions, while Diego drank small sips of tea. When he finished, she sat down next to him.

"I cannot leave you now. I will stay until they arrive."

"Thank you," he replied. "I don't want to be alone. I can't stop thinking about them."

"Diego. Look at me. I'm with you. Everything will be fine." When he turned to look at her, she kissed him, slowly, as she caressed his neck. At first he only responded gently, but then he embraced her, as she intertwined her fingers in his hair and the kiss became more intense.

As he moved his left arm to embrace her the pain made him wince and they parted.

"I'm sorry, Victoria. I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right, don't worry."

"Can you bring me my clothes? We'll wait for my father and Felipe in the living room."

She helped him put his shirt on, because he couldn't move his left arm back, but she stepped aside to let him put his pants on himself. When he went to get up again he felt pain in his hip, he had also hit it.

He leaned on it to climb the stairs and they sat down in the room.

"Diego, you should go to bed. You need to rest."

"I'll wait for my father to arrive. I'd rather he accompany you back to Los Angeles."

"I'll be fine, I've done that road many times myself."

"Please wait until they get here and go with you. It's late, and I couldn't bear for anything to happen to you."

"As you wish, we'll ask him to join me."

Diego was dozing on the couch when don Alejandro arrived with Felipe. He looked at him with a worried expression. "Are you hurt?"

"One blow to the shoulder and one to the hip, but I'll be fine."

"You should go to bed immediately."

"I will, but please escort Victoria back. I don't want her to go alone."

"Felipe, help me get him to his room. I'll accompany Victoria, don't worry, but you have to rest."

He had trouble sitting up in bed. They helped him to change his clothes, and when Don Alejandro touched his forehead, he realized he had a fever.

Don Alejandro and Victoria rode back to Los Angeles.

"Do you know what happened?" Don Alejandro asked.

"The river rose with the storm and swept away a cart trying to cross, in which a family was traveling. The mother and baby were able to get to safety, but the father and daughter were trapped in the current, and although he tried to reach them he could not. He thinks he was hit by a log. If not for Tornado..."

They continued to ride in silence. "You know Victoria? I'm glad to know what he does, but I lived more quietly when I thought he was only interested in his music and studies. I suppose you were aware of the danger Zorro was in."

"Not really, because it seemed like nothing could happen to him. Now that I see him as a man of flesh and blood, I realize the danger he's in."

They arrived in Los Angeles. Most of the houses had their lights off.

"I'm going to go over to the doctor's house, see if he's still awake and can go see him in the morning."

"What are you going to tell him?"

"That the wind broke a tree over him, making him fall off his horse. I think that will explain his condition."

Victoria nodded and they said goodbye.


	17. It wasn't enough

**Chapter 17. It wasn't enough.**

Victoria woke up early. In the tavern, there was talk that the river had swept away some people, and that a woman and her baby had spent the night in the mission. The soldiers had left in search of the missing father and daughter.

Doña Carmen went over to talk to Victoria. "Today you hear all kinds of rumors. Some people say that the river swept Zorro away and he drowned. Is he all right?"

"Don't worry. Diego is safe. It's true that he intervened and is injured, but he will recover."

"Gracias a Dios. Are you going to see him later? Do you think I can join you?"

"Of course you can, I'll be out in half an hour. Stay and we'll go together."

They went to the hacienda as soon as Victoria finished putting out the breakfasts. They found the doctor there, talking to Don Alejandro.

"Good morning, doña Carmen. Señorita Victoria, I was just explaining to don Alejandro how don Diego is. He has many bruises and a cut on his shoulder, but despite the fall, he has not broken his hip. He also has a bit of a cold. He'll need to rest for a few days and I don't think he'll be able to ride for two weeks. Don't worry, he'll be fine. He's lucky the horse didn't fall on him."

"Thank you, doctor." Don Alejandro said. "Doña Carmen, thank you for coming to be interested. You are very kind."

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Diego is very well taken care of, we don't need any help, but I appreciate it in any case. I'm afraid he's too beat up today to argue with me. It's the matter of him not getting on a horse for two weeks that worries me. He broke his leg once and still went out to capture some bandits. Of course, back then we didn't know what he did when he was supposed to be studying or taking a nap," doña Carmen smiled, "If you'd be so kind as to keep on accompanying Victoria when she comes to see him, that would really help. You know, a single woman visiting her fiancé in his bedroom..."

"I'm taking over. I'll chaperone. Don't worry."

Victoria stayed with Diego for a while, but returned to town accompanied by doña Carmen to serve the food at the tavern.

zzZzz

A party of soldiers led by Sergeant Mendoza arrived at the square. They were all very downcast.

"Get the wagon and some blankets." The sergeant ordered a corporal and a soldier.

When Victoria heard from one of the tavern patrons, she approached the sergeant. "What happened, did you find them?"

The sergeant nodded, about to cry. "They drowned, señorita. We found them almost at the mouth, covered with mud. The cart and horse were were much further upstream. Poor animal, he too died trapped in the current." He showed something he was holding in his hand, a black hat, but deformed and stained with mud. "This was near them. Zorro may have drowned too, although we haven't found his body."

When she saw the sorrow in Sergeant´s eyes, she felt sorry for him. "We have believed before that Zorro was dead and he has always appeared safe and sound. Do not suffer for him, Sergeant. I am convinced that one day we will see him here."

"Do you think, señorita? Well, I hope you're right. He's supposed to be an outlaw, but what kind of a crook risks his life trying to save strangers?"

In the afternoon Victoria returned to the hacienda and gathering all the courage she could find, she told Diego that they had been found. She wished she would never see Diego's tormented look again.

zzZzz

The father and daughter's funeral was held in the morning. Although he had a fever, Diego insisted on attending, and seemed devastated. They told everyone the same thing as the doctor, that a tree uprooted by the storm threw him to the ground.

After the funeral, the widow went to a small group, including the priest, de la Vegas and Victoria.

"I have heard that this man, Zorro, ends up learning the things that are said in the village. That is why I want to tell you that if you have the opportunity to talk to him, thank him on my behalf. I have lost my husband and my child, but I have my son to give me strength to go on. If he hadn't been there we would all have died."

Diego said nothing, but squeezed Victoria's hand, holding back his tears. Victoria realized that he had been hiding his feelings for years. She didn't know what else she could do to help him.

Padre Benitez seemed very upset. "It's possible that he drowned too. We haven't heard from him."

"No, he didn't drown," replied the widow. "He came out of the stream clutching the saddle of that huge black horse, it was he who left my son and me at the door of the mission. At that moment I was so dazed that I didn't thank him."

"I'm glad to hear that," said the priest. "If I see him, I'll give him your message."

Then the woman looked at Victoria. "Thank you for offering me accommodation at the tavern until I decide what to do. You're very kind. I'll find a way to pay."

"It's nothing, you don't have to pay for the room," she replied, moved. "You can stay as long as you need."

Diego looked at her tenderly. "That was a nice gesture," he said as they stepped away from the others.

"I'm trying to live up to it," she said quietly.

"You would have done it even if you didn't know me, I'm sure."

Padre Benitez found an opportunity to speak with Don Alejandro.

"Excuse me, Don Alejandro, but I'd like to talk with you about a matter.

Don Alejandro approached him. The priest pointed to the mission garden, where at that hour there was no one else.

"I spoke to your son a few days ago, and although he assured me that everything is fine I remained worried. Is he all right? He seems very distressed."

"He told me that he saw how the river was dragging those people, but that he didn't arrive in time to help." Don Alejandro improvised. "He was very impressed. He values life above all else."

"Yes, I remember how upset he was when that man died and nobody cared. Diego is very compassionate. I'm also concerned about his relationship with Victoria. Do you think they're fine?"

"Padre." said Don Alejandro. "We know of the horrible stories circulating about Victoria, and I can tell you they are self-serving lies. I'm sure she's sincere."

"I recognize that she seems to feel affection for him, but she has loved Zorro so long that I miss such a radical change. If more time had passed, perhaps she could have overcome it, but a wedding so sudden..."

"Well." said Don Alejandro. "Much less sudden than when she said she would marry Juan."

"I was just thinking about what she did, Don Alejandro. What if she's not capable of marrying him or, even worse, realizes afterward that it was a mistake? I don't think Diego could bear such a disappointment."

Don Alejandro was full of doubts. He was so eager to ask the priest's advice about Diego that he could hardly contain himself, but he could not betray the secret. Every person who knew about Zorro increased the risk of everything being discovered, assuming he could convince him. The priest noticed something and asked him again.

"Would you like to tell me something, Don Alejandro?"

"No, Padre, thank you very much for your interest. Good day."

The widow would return to the tavern where she was staying. Her baby wouldn't stop crying. The mother was so exhausted that she staggered. A man next to her held her and doña Carmen, who was on the other side, instinctively grabbed the baby that was about to fall from her mother's arms. Doña Carmen cradled him and the baby stopped crying. The woman could not stop looking at him.

Don Alejandro came over to help, but other people were already accompanying the mother to the tavern to take her to her room, so he walked behind them with doña Carmen who was still cradling the baby. When they arrived at the tavern, Victoria had also come, and accompanied the mother and doña Carmen to the room. The baby's mother said that she was feeling better and doña Carmen returned the child to her with tenderness.

When she went down the stairs, don Alejandro saw that doña Carmen had tears in her eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Of course, I'm a bit affected by the loss that woman has suffered, but I'm fine. Thank you."

She went home and Don Alejandro asked if he could accompany her.

"It will not be necessary. My house is right here."

"I insist. I'm convinced you´re not well."

Doña Carmen reached into her pocket, increasingly nervous. Finally, she found the key and opened the door.

"I'm home now. Thank you again, Don Alejandro." She entered and closed the door behind her.

zzZzz

A week later Victoria and Carmen were at the hacienda. Victoria was waiting for Diego in the cave. When he arrived, he took off his mask and went over to kiss her, but it was a short kiss. He immediately parted from her.

"I'm going to change. Will you wait for me upstairs?"

"Sure." she said a little weirded out. She went up to the library.

Don Alejandro approached Victoria. "He shouldn't go out on horseback, he hasn't quite recovered yet."

"He's promised me he won't make too much of an effort, but he doesn't want people to think Zorro is hurt at the same time as Diego."

"We have to find a way to make Zorro no longer necessary. He deserves to move on with his life. You both do."

Once in the room Diego sat down in front of the piano and played a tune. It was soft and full of sadness.

Don Alejandro approached her. "You know, Victoria. I realized that I hardly knew him. Now that he has told me his secret I think I am beginning to understand him, but not completely. He was already like that as a child, he only opened up to his mother. He became very secretive when she died, and I think it was my fault, because I couldn´t understand he is different. Losing her was very hard for him."

"I'm sure she was a wonderful woman."

"Yes, she was. She loved music too. They spent hours together every day practicing. When she died, he went months without playing. I told him that she would have liked him to continue enjoying music. He looked at me very seriously and sat down at the piano. When he started playing again, he was even better than before. His feelings were expressed while he was playing. If you ever want to know how he feels, encourage him to play and what his words don't tell you, his performance will."

"Thank you, Don Alejandro. It's very kind of you to share it with me."

Doña Carmen also listened to the music, and Don Alejandro could not help but notice that she seemed very distressed.

zzZzz

Zorro came to the village in the morning, ten days later. Cattle drivers had been bothering the tavern and the streets. The inhabitants of Los Angeles greeted him with joy, because for most it was the first time they had seen him after the river had flooded. He greeted them with kindness, and he also greeted Victoria, but he did not dedicate any witty phrases to her, no smiles. They crossed their eyes and he passed by. She felt a little sad. Padre Benitez was in the square when everything happened and he was worried.

When he returned to the hacienda don Alejandro was waiting in the room with a letter in his hand.

"I have received this letter from Monterrey. My friend has been found dead in strange circumstances."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't think he was in danger. We should have warned him more seriously."

"He knew the danger he was in, don't torment yourself with this too. The point is, we'll have to find another way to defend ourselves."

"I'll think about it."


	18. Tell me everything

**Chapter 18. Tell me everything.**

Victoria had been restless for several days. She felt that Diego was more distant with her. They hadn't been alone since the night of the storm. She decided to visit her friend Teresa, training with her always made her mind clearer.

Two hours later she returned, and after checking that everything was under control in the tavern she went to look for doña Carmen.

"Carmen, I'm going to the hacienda. Will you come with me?" she said abruptly.

"Sure, but what's wrong with you, why are you so angry?"

"First, I have to talk to him, then I'll tell you."

"All right, I´m coming with you."

When Victoria arrived, she went straight to the library. Don Alejandro was reading, and looked up when he heard her hurried steps.

"Where is he?" asked Victoria in a determined voice.

"He hasn't come back yet," he said somewhat astonished.

"Well, I'll wait for him downstairs."

"As you wish," he said without daring to argue.

Victoria came in through the fireplace, and at that moment Doña Carmen entered the room.

"What happened?" asked Don Alejandro.

"No idea, but I think your son is in some kind of trouble."

"I hope they can clear it up."

"I don't think we should leave them alone."

"I certainly don't intend to get into an argument between those two. Besides, I'm convinced we can trust them."

"She may be angry right now, but as soon as they clear it up they could go too far. They're very much in love, don Alejandro, and they haven't been able to be together for years. Any day, one of them will take the initiative and they won't be able to stand it anymore."

"It wouldn't be a big deal either. The wedding's next month."

"It would be a pity if they waited so long to mess up now."

Don Alejandro seemed surprised that she was so strict, but as a good gentleman he made no comment. She became suspicious. "You didn't wait." she said in a stern voice.

"It's been a long time since that."

"But you married her. Didn't you?"

"Of course I did. What kind of man do you think I am?"

She looked away and thought she knew what he was thinking. She couldn't have been more wrong, because the next thing he said surprised her.

"These days I've seen that Diego is still affected by the death of those people, but he's not the only one. You haven't been the same since. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

"That's what he tells me, and it's not true either. Has Don Raimundo bothered you again?"

"What do you know about it?"

"I met him at the tavern and he reproached me for wanting your services just for me. I didn't hit him right away to avoid a scandal, but I told him I'm willing to defend your honor with my sword, so I hope he won't insist again."

She was completely amazed. "How could you think of doing something like that?"

"I have said that you are a respectable widow and I won't let anyone doubt my word, least of all him."

"It's a lie."

"It's my version and I'll keep it."

"But he knows that what he says is true. What if he accepts the challenge?"

"Raimundo? He's a coward at heart. Besides, I couldn't resist the temptation and I've been practicing with Diego and Felipe. He would be in for an unpleasant surprise."

"I can't believe it. Here you are, ready to defend a lie like a knight errant fighting windmills."

He stared at her for a few moments "Don Quixote is my favorite novel." he said somewhat surprised.

"So is mine," she acknowledged. "And you see in me a Dulcinea when I am no more than Aldonza."

"I don't agree, because Dulcinea is my favorite mare and although she's also a beauty she doesn't look anything like you."

"You know what I mean," she said, unable to stop herself from smiling.

"Yes, I know." he said in a soft voice. "You think I'm a madman living in a world of illusions. Maybe you're right, that would explain about my son. But if enjoying your company is the result of madness, then I don't want to be sane again."

He sat down at the piano and started playing. She was relieved, because he had left her speechless.

zzZzz

Victoria waited in the cave, and as she circled like a caged beast she saw two staffs leaning against the wall. She assumed that Diego and Felipe were using them to practice fighting. She took the shorter one and began to practice spinning and hitting. Soon after that, Diego came in with Tornado. She stopped.

"How do you feel?" Victoria asked. "Does it still hurt?"

"I'm feeling better. Fortunately, I don't need to drink cactus tea anymore. It's very effective, but it tastes terrible." She nodded. She remembered it very well. "Yesterday I took off the bandage."

He dismounted from Tornado and took him to the stable, where he removed his saddle and reins.

He left his gloves on the table and after taking off his cape and mask he approached her, but she stopped him by putting the staff in front of him.

"I think you forgot to tell me something."

"I don't know what you mean," he said cautiously.

She made a quick turn with the rod and directed it towards his chest. "Have you visited the Indian village lately?"

"No. How about you? Have you been talking to your friend Teresa?"

"So you know she's my friend. What else do you know?"

"That you've learned how to handle that with her." he said, looking at the staff she was holding.

"Do you want to take yours?"

"Why?" he said suspiciously.

"I'd like to train with you as we speak."

He took the stick and stood in front of her. Without warning she made an attacking move that almost tore it out of Diego's hands. He managed to turn his rod in time, but on her counterattack, he took a blow to his forearm.

"Is this about Washdea?" he said. He immediately regretted it, when she hit him three times in a row. He managed to stop the first two attacks, but the third hit him above his left knee.

He continued to talk as he stopped almost every blow Victoria directed at him. "The singing woman told me she's solved it, and the chief won't try to force me to marry her." He had to duck to avoid another hit. "Really, Victoria, one warrior wife is my limit."

She attacked again, and this time he managed to stop her movement and catch her rod, pulling it to disarm her. She tried to hit him and he held her hand. Both were panting from the effort.

"I assure you I am not engaged to her."

"And does she know? Because she was saying that if Zorro is no longer going to marry me, there is no obstacle to his marrying her. She asked me how to find you, that little..."

"You're the only woman I want to marry."

"So why don't we see each other alone anymore? You're distant... If there's no other woman. Why do you keep me from you? And why do you keep hiding things from me?" she said furiously.

He stared at her without releasing her wrist. "There's no one else, but you're right about one thing. I must be honest with you even if it is difficult." He stopped for a moment and finally spoke. "Since those two people died, I only feel good being with you, but I don't trust myself. That's why I prefer us to be accompanied. I'm afraid that if we kiss again like the day of the storm, my desire will be stronger than I am." he looked away a little, but then looked at her again intently. "When we kiss and you caress me I find it hard to wait for our wedding day." He realized that he was still holding her, and he let go of her arm. "I assure you that when we are married I will not seem distant to you."

She blushed at these words. She went over and kissed him. He parted from her for a moment, but she guided Diego's hands to her waist, under her blouse and kissed him again, caressing his neck and hair. Almost out of breath, he spoke. "Please. I promised to respect you, that's what inspired me all this time, to wait until I make you my wife, but I can't if you're so close to me."

Victoria parted from him with effort. "Is that really what you want?"

"It's not what I want, but it's what I have to do. I promised your father."

"When did you talk to my father? Wait. Is he still here?"

He seemed embarrassed. "He said he wouldn't leave until he was sure we were married."

She opened her eyes in surprise. "Can he see us now?"

"No, Luis Ramón was so nasty that for some time now I have made the hacienda, including the cave, my sanctuary, no ghost can enter here unless I summon it."

"Gracias a Dios. And did he say anything else?"

"Well..."

"Diego, tell me." she said firmly.

"That he wants grandchildren."

Victoria started laughing. "Same as your father. It's a conspiracy."

"They once said it at the same time. It was very strange."

Victoria handed him the white shirt while laughing. "I'd better wait for you upstairs. It's going to be a long five weeks."

"Five weeks and two days," he mumbled sadly.

Victoria went out to the library and met Don Alejandro and doña Carmen.

"Has Diego arrived yet?"

"Yes, he's changing his clothes."

"Good. Did you get a chance to talk to him. How is he today?"

"His wounds are almost healed, and I think he's getting over it."

Don Alejandro saw that she looked a little tense. "Did you argue?"

"It was just a misunderstanding."

zzZzz

Diego accompanied Victoria and doña Carmen to Los Angeles and on his return he put on work clothes to help with some calves. He rolled up his sleeves and his father noticed a bruise on his arm.

"What happened to you? I thought you didn't have any trouble with the bandits today."

"And I haven't had them. It was Victoria. She was very angry with me."

"Did your fiancée hit you?" he said, trying not to laugh.

"We were practicing with some staffs. She's very fast. She learned with some girls from the indian village."

"But. Why was she angry?"

"A few months ago the chief of the tribe offered me the hand of his daughter. Now it's settled, but Victoria just found out and didn't take it very well. Luckily, we cleared it up."

"They offered you another woman? You're lucky she only hit you once."

"I've taken more than one hit, but still, yes, I've been lucky."

"Be that as it may, I'm glad you two have reconciled."

He looked at his father sideways with a guilty expression.

His father stared at him for a moment with a surprised look on his face, "Oh, wow," he said, but pretended to add. "Let's go back to the calves." Diego realized what he was thinking. "Nothing improper has happened," he said somewhat offended.

His father looked at him strangely. "It didn't seem that way when I saw Victoria."

Diego looked at him with determination. "I told you I'd respect her."

His father still seemed somewhat surprised, but his son's serious look convinced him that he was telling the truth. He noticed his appearance, upright, calm but authoritative. He noticed the tone of voice he had used. He was a man, a leader. The son he had always wanted. He felt like he was seeing the real Diego for the first time and realized how proud he was of him.

"Son, I believe you, even though lately I wonder if you're a human being."

zzZzz

Victoria also had to endure the suspicion of doña Carmen. "I won't leave you alone with him again." she said in a stern voice.

"It hasn't happened as you think."

"But it was close. He can't be trusted."

"I can't really be trusted. He was the one who said we should wait. Besides. Why do you care so much?"

"Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. It's only a few weeks. I know it's hard, but you can do it. It's worth it to do the right thing."

"He's not like the man who seduced you and then abandoned you. He would marry me even if something happened, of that I have no doubt."

"I know, it's just... I loved that man, or at least I thought I did. I wanted to give myself to him and then be his wife. I ruined my life and it was my fault. I wish someone had advised me."

"All right, I won't leave your side for a moment when I go to visit the hacienda. You're worse than a mother-in-law."

Dona Carmen smiled slightly.

Victoria noticed something about her. "There's something else bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?" Doña Carmen looked away. "Is it because of the child you had?" she ventured, hoping she had not hurt her feelings.

"I think about her every day. I haven't been there for her, to help her if she ever needed it. I hope she's had more luck in life than I have." she replied sadly.

**_Author´s note:_**

_ Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra published his novel The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha in 1605. In 1614 an author published under the pseudonym of Avellaneda the __spurius part two, called __Second volume of the ingenious h__idalgo__ don Quixote of La Mancha, usually known as Quixote of Avellaneda. Cervantes in turn published the Second part of the ingenious gentleman don Quixote of La Mancha in 1615, which contained numerous allusions and criticisms of Avellaneda's work. In Cervantes' Segunda Parte, Don Quixote visits a printing-house in Barcelona and finds Avellaneda's Second Part being printed there, in an early example of metafiction. So, at the beginning of 17th century, the work Don Quixote already had its own fanfic._

_If anyone knows of any other example of fanfic in the history of literature, please i__nclude__ it in the r__eviews__. On Facebook they have already mentioned The Tale of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes __(12th century)__, which the author left unfinished and gave rise to several continuations._

_S__o we, fanfic writers, are heirs to a tradition that I've been able to trace back to the 12th century. Maybe by doing some research I'll be able to go back to Ancient Greece. Who knows._


	19. Change of plan

**Chapter 19. Change of plan.**

The next market day, Padre Benitez met Victoria in the square and decided to talk to her.

"Victoria, I'm worried. I'd like to talk to you."

"Can I help you, Padre?"

"It's about Zorro. You see, I know you two broke up for a good reason, but the last time I saw him I realized that you were the light of his life. He was so different, so sad. I guess I never thought until now that under that mask there's a man of flesh and blood, and we don't know anything about him. Maybe he has no one to turn to if he needs help. I wanted to ask you if there's any way I could talk to him."

"Padre, I don't think it's just me. You know he tried to rescue that family during the flood. Not being able to save them all broke his heart."

"Yes, the girl's mother told us that if it wasn't for him she and her baby would have died too. But how do you know that's what saddens him, Victoria? Do you still meet him?"

Victoria avoided his gaze, didn't know what to say. "We're still friends, Padre. I care about him."

"Just friends, or do you still love him?" She avoided giving an answer and that alarmed the priest. "I try not to believe the rumors, but it is said of you that you have not given up on him, even that..."

Victoria's expression was unsettling. The priest realized that she was hiding something from him. He turned to her in shock.

"Come with me right now to a more discreet place," he said in a stern voice.

Inside the church he made sure there was no one else before continuing.

"Victoria, this is very serious. You cannot marry Diego if you still love Zorro and date him in secret." He demanded with a dryness. "Swear to me that you are not lovers."

Victoria was not capable of lying to a priest, so she was relieved to answer him. "I can swear to you that I have never given myself to him."

The usually affable Padre Benitez looked at her with suspicion. "And can you give me your word that you will never do so?"

She didn't have an answer for that question.

"So you don't rule out being unfaithful to your husband with him. I would never have thought of you like that. Lucky your parents don't live to see this." she shrugged off the words, anguished. "I'm sure Diego doesn't know. Poor man, this will destroy him. He trusts you blindly. I have to cancel the wedding."

"Padre, please don't do this," she said in a choked voice.

"Of course I'll cancel it! I will not allow you to hide your relationship with Zorro by marrying another man."

"It's not that, Padre, I want to marry Diego. I love him more than you know."

"You can't have them both!" He exclaimed indignantly.

She paused for a moment to think, but she had no choice. She felt trapped, and looked around, checking that they were alone. She still whispered. "What's happening is that they... They're the same man!"

"Excuse me?"

"Diego is Zorro, he's the one who hides behind the mask." Victoria was crying. "Think of his eyes, his voice, I swear it's him."

"Don't try to convince me of something like that. You know that's not possible."

She was desperate, but she remembered something Diego had told her. "Wait here a moment, please."

She left the church in a hurry and crossed the square to the tavern. She went to doña Carmen's house, but she didn't need to get there, because she found her halfway there.

"Carmen, I need your help immediately."

"Sure. What happened?"

"Padre Benitez wants to cancel the wedding because I can't promise him I'll never be Zorro's lover."

"And what do you want me to do?"

"You have to tell him, I know he'll believe you. Diego told me."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Completely, I don't see any other option."

"Oh, you should have sworn you'd never cheat on Diego, or break your vows. You wouldn't be lying."

"You're right, it didn't occur to me at the time."

"Well, you're going to have to get smart. You should learn from your future husband, he does it all the time."

They both went to the church, where Padre Benitez received them in astonishment. Victoria closed the door behind them and gestured for doña Carmen to speak.

Doña Carmen stared at the priest. "Padre Benitez, I assure you that Zorro is in fact Diego de la Vega."

He stared at her for almost a minute, then looked at Victoria, and then at doña Carmen again. "Virgen santísima!" He finally exclaimed, dropping onto a bench.

Victoria approached him, "We should not have told you. No one else can know, his life depends on it."

Now he was whispering too, infected by Victoria's restlessness. "The secret of confession is sacred, I will never reveal what you have told me. But it is not possible. Everyone saw that when you broke with Zorro, Diego was present."

"It was a hoax. He calls them conspiracies and entanglements. His father, Felipe and I helped him. There was smoke, a dummy with his face made of wax, another dummy dressed as the Fox on Tornado..."

The father was trying to understand all that.

Victoria couldn't stop talking. "When he returned to his shelter after trying to save those people he was wounded, soaked and cold. I had to help him take off his clothes and bandage his wounds, then I went up to the kitchen to get something hot..."

"I don't understand. Did you go up to the kitchen?"

"The Zorro´s cave is under the hacienda de la Vega. The thing is, when I came back, he was crying. So devastated by grief that I didn't know what to do. I hugged him and although nothing else happened that day, the next time we were alone he said that only when he was with me could he stop thinking about the victims, but that we weren't married yet and we had to wait, and I tried to seduce him, but he insisted on waiting."

"Calm down, please. After what I thought of you, it doesn't seem so bad that you'd want to seduce your fiancé. Understand me, you must wait for the wedding, but under these circumstances it's not so bad. How long have you wanted to get married?"

"I knew they were the same person a few weeks ago, but he'd already asked as Zorro when I hurt my ankle, before the Candelaria."

"That was six months ago. That's too long, my child."

Victoria was calming down, no longer crying. "I didn't try again. We always are accompanied by his father or doña Carmen," she said shyly.

"This is good. I'll absolve you of that sin, but it's important that I talk to Diego. I guess he didn't fall off his horse, but hurt himself helping those people." Victoria nodded. "And I'm sure it's not the first time it's happened. That boy makes too many demands on himself. He'll get himself killed in the end."

"You have to help him, Padre. He's suffering. He tried to save that man and his daughter, almost lost his life and still blames himself for not succeeding."

"I have to talk to him right away. We'd better get to the hacienda. Doña Carmen, I'd like you to come with us." Victoria didn't understand why, but she didn't dare argue.

Victoria drove the cart to the de la Vega house. Don Alejandro went out to meet them. Felipe greeted them with a gesture.

"Good afternoon, Padre. Can we help you with anything?" Don Alejandro said respectfully.

"I want to talk to Diego."

"He's out on horseback. I think he'll be back in a while," said Don Alejandro.

"On the black horse perhaps?" asked Padre Benitez. Don Alejandro and Felipe looked at him in fear, and Victoria confessed: "I've told him about Zorro."

The priest realized that she felt guilty for having spoken. "Believe me, it wasn't easy for her to do that. I accused her of being unfaithful to Diego with Zorro and I was very hard on her. When I threatened to call off the wedding, she told me. It is strange how rumors sometimes contain some truth," reflected Padre Benitez.

"We can wait for Diego in the cave," said don Alejandro, and opening the panel he led the priest through the fireplace door.

The priest went to Felipe. "You'd better wait here."

As he walked down the steps he looked around. "It's amazing. Now I'm really starting to believe it."

Don Alejandro smiled, proudly. "I had a hard time accepting it too," he said.

The priest went to Victoria. "Forgive my words, I could not imagine the truth and thought the worst. I'm very happy for you. I was afraid that giving up your love for Zorro would be impossible for you, but now I know that you are faithful to your heart. Even though you take on a great burden every time he goes out to defend the innocent, and endure all those rumours."

"All that doesn't matter if I can be by his side, Padre." she said serenely.

"Besides, it reassures me to know that Zorro has someone who cares about him."

Soon after, Diego entered the cave riding Tornado. When he saw all of them, he was very surprised, especially by the presence of the priest. Victoria came forward to speak to him.

"Diego, I'm sorry, I had to tell him."

Padre Benitez addressed him. "I will keep your identity a secret of confession, but I also think we should talk."

Diego got off his horse and kissed Victoria's hand. "Welcome, Padre. I'm glad you know the truth, even though keeping secrets is sometimes difficult."

"Keeping secrets is part of my vocation, as helping others seems to be part of yours. Diego: your father, Victoria, and also Felipe are very concerned about you."

"I'm fine, Padre," he said, but he didn't seem too sure.

"Diego, son, you are indeed a great man. Probably the best I've ever known, but you're just a man and you have to measure your strength. You have a family to think about. We all know you did what you could for those people. Now they rest in peace."

While Victoria was by his side, she held his hand.

The priest continued. "I know it's hard to lose someone, but think of the lives you saved, the people you helped, and all the reasons you have to keep going. It's at times like this that a man shows his true strength."

After a pause, he added.

"It is clear that you need Victoria near you, and I can help you with that, although I must say that your behavior with her has not been exemplary. I expected more from a caballero. As Zorro, you have exposed her to rumors and slander. You have respected her, and that honors you, but to walk around at night entering a señorita´s bedroom is not right," he said seriously.

Diego seemed a little embarrassed. "You're right, Padre. I made mistakes, but I think by marrying her I'll start to make up for them."

"Well, I agree, but under the circumstances it's best that you get married immediately."

They looked at each other in surprise. "Is that possible?" said Victoria in amazement.

"Of course, you are single, the banns have been read, and there are two witnesses," answered the priest.

"But how can we explain such a sudden wedding without raising more rumors?" said Diego.

"Since you seem so fond of secrets, what I propose is that you marry today without anyone else knowing, and that Victoria go back to the tavern. You must be very careful with your conduct. You may meet in this house, where you are supposed to be under the supervision of don Alejandro. No nightly excursions." He said looking at Diego. Diego and Victoria looked at the floor a little embarrassed by the rebuke. "I'll say I'm moving up your wedding to two weeks from now because I want to go visit the mission in San Diego, so you'll renew your vows in the church, only those of us present will know you're actually married already. Are you willing?"

Diego, smiling for the first time in days, said, "It's what I want most in the world." He looked at her again. "Victoria, this is not the wedding you dreamed of, but will you marry me now?"

"You're by my side, that's all I want." she answered without hesitation.

The priest seemed satisfied, and relaxing a bit, he said: "Well, but Diego, you can't marry wearing the mask."

"I forgot, Father, I'm so used to it now..."

Victoria came to him and took it away.

Diego realized something. "Where is Felipe? He can't miss this."

Don Alejandro went up to look for him and Felipe came in very surprised.

Again the priest spoke. "Now join hands."

After the brief ceremony, while Diego and Victoria were still looking into each other's eyes, Don Alejandro offered his arm to doña Carmen, and looked at Padre Benitez. "Padre, I have a bottle of wine with which we can celebrate this occasion. Felipe, shall we go?"

They were left alone and they kissed.

zzZzz

Felipe left the room to run some errands. Don Alejandro and doña Carmen were talking to the priest.

"I'm very glad you came, Padre. You've had a magnificent idea."

"It was the best we could do. There was no point in making them wait another five weeks, and I don't think they would have waited. Although you both were supposed to be watching them. It's the duty of parents and friends to do that."

"Padre, you understand that Diego is not easy to watch. He's Zorro and I didn't know it until he told me a few weeks ago. Besides, they had been seeing each other alone for years without anything happening. I assure you they were making a great effort."

Doña Carmen intervened. "I warned him that we shouldn't leave them alone."

"That's true." he confirmed.

"They almost made a mistake, but it was partly my fault. When young people ask me for a date for the wedding I try not to delay it too much, because they are usually reckless. In this case I thought that Victoria would need some time to think about whether she really wanted to get married, so that Diego would have a chance to continue to win her affection. If I knew who he really was, I would have married them as soon as possible. If I had to get angry with all the young people who rush in like I got angry with Victoria..."

"He told me he would have put her on his horse, taken her to the nearest church and married her immediately, but that would have been Zorro's, not Diego's."

"He was caught in his own lie," said Padre Benitez sadly. "So you and Diego were so sure about Victoria," he laughed. "And the alcalde, waiting for Zorro to show up at the tavern while he was all the time coming and going right under his nose."


	20. Newlyweds

**Chapter 20. Newlyweds.**

Victoria was still hugging Diego. Leaning on his chest, she could hear his heartbeat, still a little fast. She had imagined many times what her wedding night… that is to say, wedding day, would be like, and she had thought she knew what was going to happen, but she had to admit that some of the things they had done, namely that Diego had done to her, she had not expected.

"Diego. Where did you learn to...? Well, you know."

Diego didn't respond. She insisted. "I want to know." At his silence she added. "I run a tavern, I grew up there. Nothing you say can escandalise me."

He sighed and responded somewhat embarrassed. "In Spain I met a woman. She was a widow, and about fifteen years older than me. She organized parties at her house, inviting influential people from the city. One of my teachers introduced me to her one day when I met them on the street, and she invited me to the next party, because they were both part of a group of people who studied magic, and they wanted me to join them and study my gifts. I went to several of her parties, until one of the times when I arrived at her house I discovered that I was the only guest. I told her that I had to leave, but she insisted that I stay. She said it was a misunderstanding, but she was free to have dinner with me."

"But it wasn't a misunderstanding."

"No, she wanted to seduce me and I admit she got it."

"Yes, I'm sure you made it very difficult for her. So you kept seeing her to complete your academic training."

"I know I did wrong. I shouldn't have gone back to her house, but it was very tempting."

"Have you been together long?"

"About five months."

"Why did you break up?"

"We discovered that the king's men were investigating several members of our group, so she decided to flee England. A British commander, who ended up being her husband, found out that she was in trouble and came looking for her when I was with her. I had to go out the back door."

"That's where you learned to sneak out."

"I knew that as a child, but I admit I perfected the technique."

She stood up to look him in the eye. "Did you love her?"

"I felt affection for her, and attraction, of course, but I didn't love her the way I love you."

"Or the way you loved Zafira." Victoria added.

"Zafira and I shared a desire to make the world a fairer place, but I never felt about her the way I feel about you, and now I think her cause was above all else. I'm glad fate separated us."

"You and she...?" Victoria asked somewhat jealously.

"No, I wanted to make her my wife. I never proposed to her like that."

Victoria seemed pensive. "So. What we did today... Did you learn it with that woman?"

"Not everything, some things I read in some books. I was looking forward to trying them out."

"What kind of books do you read?"

He smiled mischievously. "It seems I've managed to escandalise you after all. Well, if what we've done has surprised you... I must tell you there's more."

"Can you do more things?"

Diego slipped a finger along Victoria's spine, causing her to shiver. "Oh, yes, and if you're interested, I'll try them out one by one." His voice and his look were more than suggestive.

Victoria smiled, but decided to change the subject. "It's been very good for us, but why do you have a bed down here?"

"Before I told my father I was Zorro, I sometimes pretended I was gone for a few days so I could act more freely. I would stay here and Felipe would bring me food from the kitchen. Adela, Juan and María don't sleep on the hacienda, so now I just need to hide during the day, but I hadn't taken the bed from here yet."

"You always seem to have it all figured out," she said.

"Well, as you well know, sometimes plans fall apart. Besides, I admit that today the priest surprised me," responded Diego.

They kissed again and she sighed. "I must go back to the tavern," she said, sighing. "Two more weeks and we'll sleep together every night."

He looked at her intently. "I don't know what I would have done without you, Victoria," he said, visibly moved.

"We're together now. You can count on me."

They went out to the room where they found don Alejandro and doña Carmen practicing a piano duet together. Victoria and Diego were walking hand in hand and were a little surprised to see the scene.

"Padre Benitez?" asked Diego.

"He left some time ago," answered Don Alejandro.

"About two hours ago." Dona Carmen pointed out.

"I will accompany you back to Los Angeles," said Diego.

Doña Carmen looked at them. "No way. You stay here, you look like a fox that has snuck into the henhouse, everyone will realize what just happened down there. I'll have enough work to wipe that smile off Victoria's face."

Diego looked at her in amazement and laughed. Victoria joined him in the laughter. They were both blushing. Don Alejandro also started to laugh and hugged his son. "I wish you much happiness."

"Thank you for everything, father," responded Diego trying to calm down. Victoria approached don Alejandro and hugged him. Don Alejandro seemed thrilled. "Blessed are you, my children," he said in a slightly hoarse voice.

zzZzz

Victoria and Doña Carmen arrived early the next day. They found Don Alejandro taking care of some plants in the courtyard.

"Buenos días." He greeted them, and added, addressing Victoria. "I'm afraid Diego is still asleep."

"So late?"

Don Alejandro looked around. "He went out last night. Felipe was in the tavern yesterday and heard rumors about bandits on the North Road."

"I see." she said. "You saw him this morning, right?"

"Don't worry, I saw him when he came in at dawn. He's fine."

They were chatting in the living room when Diego came in.

"Good morning, Victoria." kissed her hand. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Maybe later." She took his hand and walked into the direction of the library.

Diego looked a little embarrassed, but he was smiling. When they entered the house, don Alejandro turned to doña Carmen. "I think this is going to take a while. Would you like some coffee?"

"Good idea."

They were in the library when they heard Don Alejandro's men going to the stables with a herd of horses. Don Alejandro got up. "Doña Carmen. Do you mind if I go to the corrals to see the foals?"

"Of course not. May I join you?"

"Sure, come with me. Do you know about horses?"

"Not really, but they're impressive animals, especially yours."

"Yes, we are very proud of our animals, particularly, the foals of our stallion Hermes."

They approached the fence and doña Carmen noticed a huge black horse.

"Do you have Tornado there, in full view of everyone?" she whispered.

"That's not Tornado, that's Hermes. Tornado is bigger."

"I admit I'm not an expert on horses, but that animal is huge, I don't think Tornado is bigger than him."

Don Alejandro smiled. "Look at his right front leg, it's lame."

"I don't see him limping." The horse trotted ahead of them with a slight limp. "I swear he just started limping right now. Where did he come from?"

"Diego brought him from the hills. When he was a foal he ran away and we thought he was dead, but apparently he joined a herd of wild horses that live over there. Diego was returning from Santa Paula but he took a detour to look for some plants and went further off the road than he thought. He found him injured, he had been trapped by a rock slide and his leg was crushed, as a result, his hoof does not grow well and he has a limp". (1)

"So Diego got lost, found him and nobody rides him."

"No, with the weight of the rider, he limps more, we just use him as a stud."

"And is he always here, in the pens?"

"No, it's usually loose in the meadows. Los vaqueros say he doesn't usually walk away, and when the mares are in heat he comes, so there's no need to go looking for him."

"That's living the good life. Isn't it, Tornado?" The horse seemed to be looking at her carefully.

"I repeat, his name is Hermes."

"Sure, and I'm telling you that he's your son's horse and he's learned a thing or two from him."

"But..."

"Don Alejandro, look at me carefully." He turned to her and looked her in the eye in some surprise.

"Your son, Diego, is not so clumsy as to get lost."

"No, he's not, that's true."

"The boy, Felipe, is not deaf."

"You know that too? It took him and Diego almost two days to convince me."

She nodded and pointed to Hermes. "And that horse over there is not lame."

"I understand. He's Tornado. Right?"

She nodded again.

For a while they watched the animals, and they were still by the fence when Diego and Victoria approached them.

"How are the new foals doing?" Diego asked.

"Very well, they seem to have gone out to their father."

Hermes approached Diego who caressed him and patted him on the neck.

"Doña Carmen is convinced that Hermes is actually Tornado."

Diego's face convinced him it was true. "I should have known she'd figure it out."

Victoria was looking at the horse, confused. "It can't be."

Doña Carmen made her turn to her. "Victoria, it's Tornado."

Victoria laughed.

"Have we been crossing our mares with Tornado for over a year and a half?"

Diego seemed a little worried. "Well, yes. In the mating season he was always very nervous, so I decided to take a chance. Since he can come and go as he pleases, he is much better served. He couldn't spend the day locked up in the cave."

"But I looked at his leg myself. His hoof is deformed."

Diego passed inside the fence and don Alejandro followed him. He took Tornado's leg to look at the hoof. "You see that nail there?" Don Alejandro noticed it had a five-pointed star on it. "When someone looks at his leg it sees the damaged hoof, and also that shoe leaves a little mark that makes Tornado much harder to track."

"Your horse is an actor and can do magic?"

"Sort of. He actually knows how to use mine. He's my familiar."

"Your what?"

"An animal linked to a wizard. They learn many tricks."

"I thought magic was a hoax," said Dona Carmen. "I've seen many fakers who claimed to be magicians, but they were all frauds. Until I met Diego."

"We'd better go and eat," said Don Alejandro in amazement.

They ate together and the ladies said they had to go back to Los Angeles.

"Can I go with you this time?" asked Diego in a mocking tone.

"We will see. Put on that don Diego face you've been hiding behind all these years."

Diego smiled at the challenge. He cleared his throat and his face turned to a placid and slightly absent-minded expression.

"Just like that. Very good," said Doña Carmen with approval.

Don Alejandro and Victoria looked at them in surprise, but said nothing.

Doña Carmen decided to provoke Diego to see if he could keep his composure. "And today. How many times has it been?" Diego kept the same expression. "Two or rather three?" Victoria tried to hold back her laughter without succeeding. Don Alejandro looked away, but Diego remained unmoved. "We may have rain before the weekend," he said. "The anemometer shows a change in wind direction."

"That´s interesting." said doña Carmen. "Did Victoria put into practice any of the advice I gave her last night? She felt a bit inferior because she hasn't read the same books as you. She had a few doubts and I tried to bring her up to date."

Don Alejandro couldn't take it anymore and Victoria was completely red, but Diego looked doña Carmen in the eyes smiling only slightly. "I think it's very important that women have the same access to education as men."

"All right, you convinced me. You can come."

"Thank you, doña Carmen. It´s been a pleasure," he replied with the same half smile as before.

This time it was doña Carmen who laughed. "What a rogue you are."

(1) _The idea that Tornado is one of his own horses that escaped when he was a foal is not mine, I read it in another of the stories on the Fanfiction page, and it seemed to me that it fitted with what I wanted to tell. Now that Dapet told me the story an the author, I can tell you that the original idea comes from "An Unbridled Affair" from leiasky._


	21. The other wedding

**Chapter 21. The ****o****ther ****wedding**

The afternoon before the wedding, doña Carmen went to the hacienda with Victoria. She felt a little sad, because she would no longer have an excuse to spend so much time there, but she did not want to be noticed so as not to tarnish their happiness. She thought of them as the family she could never have.

Victoria wanted to be alone with Diego and doña Carmen made fun of her. "Leave something for tomorrow, girl, you've exhausted him." She smiled, but didn't change her mind.

Don Alejandro approached her. "Well, they've left us alone again. They seem to trust us."

Doña Carmen smiled, but it really made her sad. Her life would have been so different if she had known someone like him when she was young.

"With all the mess of wedding preparations I haven't formally asked you, but I hope you can be my companion tomorrow." said don Alejandro.

"I don't think it's appropriate."

"Of course, you're a respectable widow. I don't see what the problem is."

"All right, I'll go with you if that's what you want."

"I would love it if after the wedding you would still visit us at the hacienda."

"Now I'm no longer needed as a chaperone."

"But I want to keep talking to you. It brings a touch of sanity to my life." She laughed and he continued to talk. "I mean it. My world is upside down. I thought my son was a serious and prudent man, with no interest in women, and suddenly I find him putting on a mask, fighting duels, catching bandits, climbing walls, hanging from lamps, and falling in love with the most temperamental woman I know. It's very disconcerting. How did we get here?"

"Maybe there's an explanation. Did you read Don Quixote to him when he was a child?"

"So you think it's my fault."

"I already told you. He's just like you."

zzZzz

"Victoria. Why are you still picking up? You should be upstairs by now, today you have to rest, tomorrow is a big day," said Pilar smiling.

"There's not much left," protested Victoria.

Doña Carmen took the broom out of her hands. "We will do this. Go and rest."

"You're the one who should go home, Carmen," she said.

At that moment, two women came through the door.

"Sorry, it's closed," said Pilar.

"We've come to talk to her," said Doña Maria, pointing to Victoria.

Doña Julia looked at her with a small smile. "I've already told doña María that we didn't have to come, but she insisted and I preferred that she didn't come alone."

Victoria was beginning to suspect the worst. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Your wedding night, my dear." said Doña Maria in a low voice, so Pilar wouldn't hear.

Victoria looked at doña Carmen, and looking back at doña Maria she said in a somewhat tense voice. "I don't think it's necessary."

"Of course, if your mother were here to accompany you, she'd tell you what you need, but in her absence, we married women in the village must support you."

Doña Carmen made an effort not to laugh. "Perhaps you'd like a drink while we talk."

Victoria turned to her in anger. "I don't think it's a good idea. I was just going to sleep."

Doña María took her by the hand and guided her to one of the tables in the corner. "We'd better sit down. Victoria, child, tomorrow will be an important day, and what happens when you are alone with your husband may determine how he treats you in the future. If he were a more experienced man I wouldn't worry, but when it comes to Don Diego..."

Doña Julia nodded and said. "She´s right about that. We know he is an educated man, but there are things in life that cannot be learned from books." At that moment Carmen made a strange sound, like a cough, and Victoria knew that if she looked at her, she would not be able to avoid a fit of laughter.

zzZzz

The wedding day was a bit overcast. Victoria got dressed in her room at the tavern, which she occupied for the last time. She was a little nervous. Doña Carmen was helping her.

"Is something bothering you, Victoria?"

"It's just that these days have been crazy. Being with Diego finally, and now I'll be by his side every day... and every night."

"You'll be very happy, I'm sure."

"But I don't know if it's right that I want to be with him all the time."

"You have just got married, it's normal, you'll calm down a bit in time."

"But I enjoy it so much. I've heard the priests say that a married woman must keep her composure."

"And what do they know about it? Don't listen to those old fogies." Victoria seemed worried and doña Carmen continued talking. "I'll tell you another story. Well, more like two. Over the years I have met several priests who have given me many sermons about the intimacy between man and woman. It is a subject that worries them a lot. I'll tell you the two most extreme cases."

"In the house of doña Imelda, the woman who picked me up when I escaped from the convent, I met a priest who proclaimed chastity, saying that women incited men to sin and that a woman who enjoyed the flesh was condemned to hell. Meanwhile, he had a girl exclusively, or so he thought, but that's another story."

"During my life as Don Hilario's mistress I had a lot of free time. Many times he traveled on business, and even if he was in town, he could not come to see me every day. In any case, in the mornings I was always alone. One day I met the priest of the nearest parish in the street. He greeted me kindly and I thought he didn't know who I was, but it turned out that he did. On another occasion he accompanied me while I did some shopping. He very kindly encouraged me to change my life, of course without convincing me. He told me that he already knew he would not succeed, but that it was his job to try. I decided to go to his church, and his sermons were different from what I had ever heard. Eventually I began to collaborate with him and he wanted to introduce me to some nuns."

"My experience with nuns had been so bad that I refused. However, he convinced me to give them a chance. They were working with wayward women who wanted to change their lives. They taught them a trade and gave them a fresh start, especially those who became pregnant and wanted to keep their children. He even gave them a false marriage certificate and signed baptismal certificates, hiding the fact that the children had no recognized father so they could pass for widows."

"It's amazing what they did."

"Yes, it is. He said that lying is a sin, but those children were innocent and deserved a chance. Some of the women got a new life. Others weren't so lucky. But I'm getting sidetracked by what I wanted to tell you. Talking to him in confession, I told him that I was a sinner and he of course agreed, but he said it was because my union was not blessed by marriage. He believed that love between spouses was a proof of God's love for all of us, and that pleasure between husband and wife was a gift offered to them. He saw nothing wrong with both men and women enjoying their marriage".

She looked at Victoria with a smile. "Now tell me. Which one of these two priests do you think could have been right? Which one do you think was closer to God?"

Victoria hugged doña Carmen. "Thank you again. For everything."

Don Alejandro was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. "Diego is already in the church," he said cheerfully. "Let's not keep him waiting, he's very impatient."

A smile lit up her face. Don Alejandro said, "You look radiant, even more so than usual."

Doña Carmen hurried into the church before Victoria and Don Alejandro reached the door.

When they entered the church everyone stood up, but Victoria could only look at Diego, who was wearing a blue suit at this wedding, not black clothes.

The priest put their hands together again and repeated the ceremony as if it were the first time. Victoria found it strange that a man as honest as the padre could pretend so naturally. He was much better at pretending than Don Alejandro.

As they left the church they met the alcalde. He seemed upset about something.

"Zorro seems not to have come to claim you," he said, addressing Victoria. He had surrounded the church with soldiers waiting for him to show up and disrupt the wedding, of course he'd been disappointed.

She looked at him disdainfully: "Zorro has no business being here. We broke up and I'm Diego's wife."

"Yes, it seems he's definitely tired of you."

Don Alejandro couldn't help but confront him. "You are lucky, señor, that I do not carry my sword, or you would regret those words."

Diego, tenderly letting go of Victoria's hand, stepped forward. "Father, it will not be necessary to resort to the sword, because this man attacks us with no other weapons than words, and I, although I am not a swordsman, can defend myself in that area."

He looked directly at the alcalde, asserting his greater height. "Señor, I don't even consider it necessary to defend my wife's honor. She is so far above you that she is in no danger of you reaching it. With your filthy lies you can only try to introduce doubt into my heart, but that will not succeed either. I may not be the first man she has loved, but she has given me her word to honor and respect me, and for me her word is law," his tone of voice was filled with emotion as he said, "This wonderful woman has given me the opportunity to show day by day, by my words and my actions, how much I love her, and I am sure the time will come when she will feel for me as I feel for her." Again his tone of voice hardened. "If you´re not able to share our joy, you'd better leave."

Some of the guests also approached him, looking at him seriously. The alcalde just added before he got going. "You are free to deceive yourself as much as you wish."

Don Alejandro addressed Diego. "Son, when I thought I couldn't be more proud of you, you still surprise me."

Victoria approached Diego and without caring who was around them, she kissed him passionately. There were some nervous clearings before they parted. Diego managed to look bewildered by such an outpouring of affection. "Wow," he said in a very low voice. "Now they're really going to have something to talk about."

They went to the tavern for the reception.

Diego sat at one of the tables while Victoria danced with Sergeant Mendoza. He smiled at his efforts to keep up with her without stepping on her toes. She looked around the room and saw his father looking a little serious. He approached him.

"Are you all right, father?"

"Of course, I'm just a little tired from all the hustle and bustle. I'm no longer a young man who can dance all afternoon."

"Where is doña Carmen?"

"I think she's gone out for some air. She's actually trying to avoid me. She thinks she doesn't deserve my attention."

"And you would want her to be pleased."

"I think I have feelings for her."

"It seems to me that you're sure of that."

"Would that be wrong?"

"I'm an outlaw, and I'm married to a tavern owner of dubious reputation, so who am I to put up a fight? If she can make you happy I wouldn't mind you marrying her. Because you talk about marrying her. Don't you?"

"Of course." Something in his eyes made him suspect he knew more about life than he would have thought possible. "I've been a soldier, and I've done some things I'm not proud of, but I'd like to have a partner to share my remaining years with."

"Well, don't take five years to tell her like I did."

Victoria thought she had already danced with all the gentlemen present, but she hardly felt the fatigue. Diego then called her for another dance and when they were together, he said. "The next time we pass by the door, we could sneak out."

"Impossible, you said yourself you don't sneak out."

"It's a special day. I can make an exception."

They left the tavern amidst the cheers and laughter of the guests.

When they arrived at the hacienda, Adela, which, although invited to the wedding had returned earlier, was waiting for them at the door.

"Welcome. How nice to have a señora in the house!"

"Thank you, Adela." Victoria replied.

They went to Diego's bedroom and when they entered they realized that there was a much bigger bed. Adela told them from the corridor, "It's a gift from don Alejandro," and closed the door behind them.

"It's huge," said Victoria with laughter.

"Much better than the cot in the cave," said Diego also, laughing as he approached.

She gave him a slight push on the chest, making him fall on the bed. "Yesterday, two married women from the village came to talk to me about the wedding night. I had to pretend a little, but after they drank a bottle of wine offered by Carmen, one of them told me something that I found interesting. Perhaps you've read it in one of your books and can inform me."


	22. Unexpected discussions

**Chapter 22. Unexpected discussions.**

There were still a few guests in the tavern finishing the wine Don Alejandro had brought to the party. Doña Carmen decided to leave, and don Alejandro offered to accompany her home.

"Don't bother, Don Alejandro, it´s right here."

"I insist. Una dama must be properly escorted."

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not una dama?"

"Saying it a thousand times won't make it true. I will always consider you mi dama."

She stopped to look at him. "I knew it would come to this."

"Sorry, I don't understand you."

"You're going to make me an offer. The answer is no. I don't want to end up like Cecilia."

Don Alejandro was completely baffled. "Who?"

"The woman who usually sits in the last pew of the church. Has not come to the wedding, no one has invited her."

"Don Honorio's mistress?"

"You don't even know her name. She's invisible to you, and to most of the people. Only Padre Benitez talks to her. Well, and Victoria, who won't let anyone tell her who she can and can't talk to and treats her nicely when she meets her at the mission orphanage."

"What does she have to do with you? One moment. You think I want you to be my mistress?"

"Isn't that why you wanted to come with me?" she said as she started to walk again.

"Cielos, no, I wanted to come with you because I enjoy your company, and to propose that you be my wife."

She looked at him in surprise. "You can't be serious. What would the others say?"

"What are they going to say? You can marry anyone you want, you're a widow."

"What about the rumors about me?"

"I don't care what the people who believe those rumors think."

"What about your son? Don't you care about his opinion either?"

"You think I need his approval?" She looked at him again in disbelief. "All right, you got me. His opinion matters to me, but he's fine with it." At her glance he added. "Ask him yourself."

They arrived at doña Carmen's house. "Aren't you going to ask me if you can come in?" she said defiantly.

"No, you're an honest woman, so I'll follow my son's example and wait until we're married. I'll court you properly, and if you´ll have me, padre Benitez will read the banns and we'll be married in full view of everyone. I'm sure Victoria and Diego will offer to join us on our dates."

"I can't do something like that, it would be a farce. I don't deserve it. I've done terrible things."

"It won't be a big deal. Have you done something you wouldn't have done with your husband if you'd had one?"

"No, I wasn't that kind of..."

"Then I don't care what happened. I still want to marry you."

"Por el amor de Dios! Are you always so stubborn?"

"I'd say yes, it's part of La Vega's character. I thought Diego got away with it, but in the end it turned out he didn't."

She looked up at him with sadness.

"Please tell me what's tormenting you like this," he said softly.

"I had a daughter. I let them take her away and I'll never know what became of her."

He took her hand gently. "I'm so sorry, Carmen. But I've also suffered the loss of people I loved, and I think it's worth it to go on and try to be happy. You can't change the past, but you can learn from it. Think about it. Take all the time you need."

"I'm not going to change my mind."

"You didn´t say you don't love me, so I'll try to convince you. And if I don't find a way on my own, I'll go to Victoria and Diego, I'm sure the three of us will come up with some crazy plan. You know we're all mad." he kissed her hand goodbye.

zzZzz

Diego asked the cook for a tray of dinner, to be shared by Victoria in their room. Shortly after, he got up from the table and, somewhat hesitantly, said to her: "I've been thinking about going out, I have to solve an important matter."

"Are you going out today?" Victoria asked a little surprised.

"I have something to talk about with the alcalde. I won't be long, I promise. And we can continue to discuss what those women in the village told you."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"The alcalde was behaving strangely today, I think it's a good time to get some information out of him. Besides, Zorro is not supposed to have anything else to do tonight."

"That makes sense, but please be careful."

"I will." He said kissing her before heading for the library.

zzZzz

It took him only a few minutes to get to Los Angeles and he left Tornado behind. The square was deserted, there were no longer any soldiers guarding the tavern. He surrounded the garrison building, and from the street he saw that there was still light in the alcalde´s office. He slipped through the roofs, and from above he saw the alcalde sitting there with a glass in his hand. He came down from the roof, letting himself fall almost noiselessly.

"Buenas noches, señor alcalde."

Curiously, the mayor did not react as usual, just looked at him and waved his hand slightly. "At last you appear, Zorro, though late. She has married de la Vega. The whole town was there, celebrating." Zorro didn't answer. "Have you come to toast their happiness? Have a drink." he said, raising his glass and drinking."

Diego had noticed his glazed eyes and his slurred speech. "I think you had enough to drink for both of us."

"Maybe you´re right, but I just had a really weird day today. That woman married de la Vega. I thought she wouldn't accept someone with such little character, but you should have heard him today, if I hadn't seen with my own eyes that he was there when you entered the tavern I would have thought he was Zorro."

"Did you ever think I was Diego de la Vega?"

"Yes. Isn't that ridiculous? When he admitted that he loved the tavern keeper, I became suspicious, and when he organized that dinner for her at the tavern, for a moment I was so sure... but as much as I provoked him, he didn't react. All I could do was get you two to break up and give him a chance. Por favor, she's got more character in her little finger than he has in his whole body."

Zorro looked at the alcalde, understanding at last. "Do you want her?"

"That damn potion (1). I don't think it worked, not anymore, but it made me see her in a different way. When Don Raimundo said that a well-known prostitute was staying at the tavern, and that it was possible that they were going to do business together, I thought I would have a chance to satisfy my desires," he drank from his glass again and continued. "So by ruining her source of income and her reputation I was trying to push her in the direction I was interested in. I thought that de la Vega was doing theater, and he would abandon her after seducing her, as I have seen many children of influential people do, but I underestimated what an idiot he can be, and he has married her, made her an honest woman, and saved her business. Now she's out of my reach, and I guess out of yours, too. Finally we have something in common. Or maybe you haven't given up on her?"

Diego didn't want to give him the satisfaction of reacting to his provocation. "From what I've heard, don Diego has already exposed you in front of everyone, so I'm not going to add anything else. I didn't come here to talk to you about my love life. I want you to know that there is a plot by corrupt officials to change the property titles of the estates in the area. The next logical step is to set fire to the notary's office to prevent the false documents from being compared to the originals."

He placed several documents on the table, and the alcalde looked at them with some curiosity.

"Where did you get all this?"

"I have my sources, I've been researching. Actually, I was surprised to find that you're not involved."

De Soto started reading the papers, and looked at him suspiciously. "Well, it's a good plan, but I have no interest in acquiring property in the middle of nowhere. I guess that's why I wasn't asked to participate. Why are you telling me this?"

"You're supposed to be the law here. I invite you to take the side of justice." He didn't add "for a change," but it was implied.

De Soto tufted his beard in a characteristic gesture "Discovering a plot would benefit me in my career. I could leave this town at once, and leave my successor the thankless task of trying to capture you."

"A good deed deserves a reward. If you get a promotion I hope you behave better than you do here." He left more papers on his desk. "With this you have all the necessary information, but be careful. A man has already died trying to discover those involved."

"What's in it for you?"

"Justice has always been my only goal."

"I don't believe you´re always that noble. If I can get the people involved prosecuted and get a promotion, you'll be rid of me, and if I get caught, someone else can do your dirty work for you. Very clever, but I understand, I wouldn't mind letting you out of my sight either."

De Soto was silent for a moment. "It is curious that you mention justice, because I have been thinking for so long about how to capture you that until recently I had not reflected on the consequences," Zorro looked at him without saying anything, but de Soto knew that he had captured his attention. "After Risendo's death, I received a letter from the governor that also mentioned the incident with Don Alejandro de la Vega. You know, when I tried to hang him for being Zorro (2). As if that old man could go around with a sword. I don't know how I could have confused him with Zorro and believed the fool Sepulveda when he told me he saw Tornado escape, when in fact he was just that don Alejandro´s pathetic lame horse."

"Excuse me, alcalde, but I don't have all night. If you're going to tell me anything about that letter, you'd better stop rambling."

"Sure, you're a very busy man. Well, you see, in the letter the Governor informed me that I am under investigation for the death of the emissary, and he also said that if I tried to execute an important citizen without a trial I would be court-martialed." He drank from his glass again. "So. Do you know what would happen if you were Diego de la Vega? Well, I couldn't just hang him, hang you, whatever. That man is related to the nobility."

He placed an elbow on the table and covered his face with his hand. "I would have to make a public trial. The whole town would testify on his behalf, naturally. He goes around being nice to everybody. He also runs the newspaper. Who knows what evidence he might have against me to justify his actions? I've suspected for years that at least you are his accomplice, although of course I've never been able to prove it, and now you show up with confidential documents, and I have no way of knowing which one of you has got them, but it wouldn't matter. As much as it frustrates me, it's better for everyone if don´t know who you are and we don't have to make that trial."

The alcalde raised his glass, looking Zorro in the eye. "To señor and señora de la Vega," he toasted mockingly and drank again.

Zorro turned to leave, and from the door he asked. "Aren't you going to call your soldiers?"

"Sure, we can do the same old routine. I stand up calling my soldiers and attack you with my sword, a knife or a gun that I have hidden under the table. Where did I leave it last time? It has to be here somewhere. Then you disarm me and make a nice Z on my jacket, or on the table, or anywhere else you can think of, and finally the soldiers come bumping into each other while I shout at them to catch you. And all that. For what? You would escape, as always," he said before finishing his drink in one gulp.

Notes:

(1) See episode 4 of season 4: Love Potion Number Nine.

(2) See episode 7 of season 4: Like Father, Like Son.


	23. Documentary evidence

**Chapter 23. Documentary evidence.**

Several months after the wedding, on one of the occasions when Victoria went to the tavern to see how things were going there, Diego decided to accompany her and work on the newspaper.

"I'm going to talk to Pilar to see if she needs help with anything," Victoria said.

"All right, we'll meet back here in two hours," he kissed her hand, although his look seemed to say that he would have kissed many more parts of her body.

She went to the newspaper office and picked up some documents that had come in the mail. With a determined step Diego approached doña Carmen's house.

"May I come in?"

"Sure, Diego. Thanks for coming to say hello."

"I'm actually here to ask for your help."

"Do you have a problem with Victoria?"

"No, it's about my father. He's constantly in a bad mood. He's driving us crazy."

"Now that Victoria lives there too, you all need time to adapt. It's only been two weeks since you returned from your honeymoon."

"My father doesn't need time, he needs you."

"You don't know what you're saying. He deserves better than me."

"He deserves someone who loves him. If you tell me you don't love him, I won't insist."

"Things are not that simple."

"They're not really that complicated. He wants you to be a part of his life and he doesn't care about your past."

Doña Carmen looked Diego in the eye. "What if someone finds out the truth, what would the people say?"

"I've studied the story he told in depth. From what he told me he improvised it on the spot and I was impressed by how well he fitted all the pieces together. I didn't know he could lie so well, I'm very proud."

Doña Carmen couldn't help but smile at this comment. He continued talking. "I have asked a lawyer that I know to investigate some matters discreetly. I have collected several documents, and I have obtained others in a somewhat peculiar way. I took advantage of the honeymoon trip to contact some people. I've created a very solid version of the story. I doubt very much that anyone would have any interest in investigating you, but in any case everything would confirm what my father said. I have a lot of experience in deception," he offered her some documents he had in his hand.

"What is this?"

"These are your baptismal certificate, your marriage certificate, and don Andrés Millán´s, your alleged husband, you know, death certificate. The death and baptismal certificates are authentic. It was very helpful that you use your real name again. It saved me a lot of trouble. The downside is that I now know your age and that usually irritates a woman."

"What about the one about marriage?"

"Just arrived from Guadalajara. Padre Antonio sends his regards and congratulates you on your new life."

"Have you met him?"

"He is a great person, and he told me that you participated in the project that helps fallen women to start over. I think it's admirable what they do."

"You've gone to a lot of trouble."

"I would do anything for my father. Plus, I keep thanking you for the conversations you have with Victoria. I didn't expect such an interesting married life," he said with a cheeky smile.

"Getting these documents must have taken you some time."

"I started looking into you when I met you and saw that Victoria trusted you. Just in case."

"I can't believe there's nothing you care about me. It's like you don't want to assume the things I've done, what I really am."

"Well, now that you mention it, yes, there is one thing that worries me." She looked at him expectantly. "I also have a knowledge of medicine. As a result of your sexual relations, are you carrying a disease that could affect my father?"

She was stunned by his frankness. "Of course not, I'm healthy."

"Well, then everything's perfect."

"I thought you were more of a prude."

"It's the thing about walking around wearing a mask, that in the end people don't know you well."

"Diego, I know your father is a good man, but I think sooner or later the relationship would suffer."

"Whatever you decide, you can keep the documents. Having them gives you the opportunity to continue living discreetly. It can be here in Los Angeles, where the rumors have been silenced because you have not given reasons to continue, and the story my father has told is solid. You could also go somewhere else where you might not bump into anyone from your past. But even if you found another man to marry, do you think you could hide a part of yourself from him? You'd be leading a double life, and I assure you that's not a good idea."

"Would you really accept me into your family?"

"I've spoken to Victoria and she almost thinks of you as a mother, so you'd become both a stepmother and a mother-in-law, which is a bit confusing, but I suppose I can get used to the idea. What is life without a bit of confusion?"

She looked away, pensive.

"I'm here to give you a chance to decide, not to pressure you. If you want to talk to any of us, you know where we are."

zzZzz

Diego ate with Victoria at the tavern, and when they were leaving, doña Carmen approached them.

"May I accompany you?"

Victoria smiled, somewhat surprised. "Sure, come with us, you're always welcome."

They made room for her in the carriage and headed to the hacienda.

Diego and doña Carmen entered the library, and don Alejandro, before looking up, was already complaining. "Diego, Maria is angry because you didn't tell her you wouldn't come to lunch. How many times have I told you...?" he interrupted himself when he saw doña Carmen.

"Can I come in?" she asked. "I'd like to talk to you."

"Sure." he said, standing up. He turned and said, "Diego. Would you excuse us...? Where did he go?" He said looking around.

"He went that way," said Carmen.

"I hate it when he vanishes like that."

Victoria intercepted Diego in the hallway. "Did you have anything to do with this?" Diego nodded. "I want details." He nodded again with a smile.

Doña Carmen looked at don Alejandro seriously. "Diego says you're very grumpy."

"It may be. I can only think of you, but you've been avoiding me."

"I want what's best for you."

"You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." She looked at him, moved. "Wait here." he added in a hurried tone.

He ran to doña Elena's room and opened the jewelry box. He returned to the library almost breathless.

She looked at him in amazement. "What the hell are you doing? At your age running around the house like that."

Don Alejandro caught his breath and knelt down in front of her. "I love you. Marry me." he begged, offering her a ruby ring.

"It's too much."

"No, it's not. I will not give up." He looked at her pleadingly. "I want to be your knight errant and defend your colors. Be mi dama."

No man had ever looked at her like that before. "Ay Señor! come up, you're going to get stuck there." Doña Carmen helped him up. "You're a stubborn, romantic fool, but I'll marry you," she said, hugging him.

Don Alejandro spent almost a minute unable to speak, hugging her and enjoying the moment. He broke off a little to talk to her. "What made you come and talk to me?"

"Your madcap son convinced me to come. Apparently he had a crazy plan going on for a long time. I'll tell you if you want."

But Don Alejandro didn't want to talk anymore. He came to her again, this time to kiss her. She was a little surprised, but almost immediately she began to understand Victoria's enthusiasm for Diego and a minute later she was regretting not knowing where don Alejandro's bedroom was to give him a practical demonstration of what she had learned during her years in doña Imelda's house.

When they separated, don Alejandro was unable to interpret doña Carmen's expression of astonishment. "Well, I guess I'm a little rusty after all these years. I'm sure I'll get better with practice, if you'll let me."

"Yes, of course. We may get better with practice." But the thoughts cluttered in her head._ I haven't felt like this for 20 years, with Giacomo, the cellist. And h__e__ s__ays __he__ can do better? How am I going to wait until the wedding to check?_

"Carmen, are you all right? Said Don Alejandro, worried.

"Perfectly." she said with a tense smile. Finally, she decided to add, "Maybe you could show me the house, since I'm here."

"I think you've seen most of the rooms."

"Not all of them. I haven't seen your bedroom." she said with a low tone and an intense look.

He was a little late in answering. "Don't tempt me, you're an honest woman and we must wait."

"And, uh, tell me… Was your first wife an honest woman?"

Don Alejandro thought for a moment. "If you'd be so kind as to join me, it's this way."

"I'd be delighted," she said, holding his arm.

Diego and Victoria were talking in the living room. "So. Have you got all the documentation so that no one can doubt the story your father told?"

"Yes, now everything checks out."

"But then you forged some documents."

"Actually, no, I could have done it at the printer's, but it wasn't necessary. The priest we met in Guadalajara sent me the marriage certificate."

"And that's not illegal?" he nodded. "I thought you only broke the law when you wore black."

"If it's any consolation, it's the first time I've done it." His expression became more serious "There is something else. In the letter, padre Antonio informed me that there is a person looking for Carmen. That woman thinks Carmen is her mother, and I still have to confirm some facts, but I'm almost sure she's right."

"And who is it?"

"Her name is Susana Aguirre. She was passed off as the daughter of an older couple who could not have children of their own. She was brought up as a young lady and when she was 18 years old they wanted to impose a marriage of convenience on her with a man much older than her. She eloped by giving up her dowry and married a lawyer for love. Apparently it was a scandal, because her mother publicly acknowledged that she was not her own blood but the daughter of sin. Luckily, her fianceé didn't mind, they got married, came through and have three children. She has been searching for information for a long time with the help of her husband and has had access to certain documents from the monastery where she was born. She managed to track down Carmen and find out the false name she used until she got to padre Antonio. Do you think Carmen will want to know she's a grandmother?"

zzZzz

Five months later, don Alejandro met his son in the dining room.

"Good morning, father."

"Good morning, Diego."

"When are the Aguirres coming?"

"They should arrive tomorrow, if the roads are in good condition."

"While they're here, we must limit Zorro's outlets."

Don Alejandro looked at him strangely.

"When she was born, Susana had her mother's eyes. Sometimes the color changes after a few months, but if not, she could easily recognize me. We should meet later at the library and talk about it with Carmen, Victoria and Felipe." Diego informed him.

"Of course, we'll plan how to make sure that if you have to leave she doesn't see you. Luckily Zorro hasn't had much work for several weeks now that the alcalde is busy with something else."

Diego served himself breakfast and noticed his father staring at him.

"What's going on?"

"How do you know what color Carmen's daughter's eyes were? She doesn't want to talk about what happened. Did she tell you?"

"No, I accompanied her in a dream, in which we saw what happened when her daughter was born."

"A dream about the past. Is that one of the things you do?"

"Yes, although it doesn't happen often."

"I've been thinking about it, and I'd like you to tell me what else you can do. I have a meeting with don Miguel today, but maybe tomorrow we can talk about it."

Diego smiled. "Sure, we can go to the cave and I'll show you my mother's book. In Madrid, one of the professors had a copy of that same book, but it was incomplete. Some of the people I knew would pay any price for it. That's why I didn't tell anyone I have it. Although I must admit that I have not made much progress in that regard. It takes years of study, and the sources of information are unreliable. I haven't spent enough time on it to move forward."

"I'd say you've been busy." His father laughed.

Don Alejandro finished his breakfast, and when he got up, he couldn't avoid a little wince of pain.

"Does your back hurt?"

Don Alejandro seemed uncomfortable. "It's nothing, don't worry."

"I have a rosemary alcohol liniment that comes in handy. Maybe you shouldn't ride a horse today."

"It's really nothing."

"All right, but if you want the liniment, I have it downstairs."

"Maybe it's a good idea. Finish your breakfast and I'll go with you."

They went down to the cave and Diego went to one of the shelves.

"Diego, I wanted to ask you something else."

"Tell me."

"Uh… It's about a book Carmen mentioned."

Diego was startled, fortunately his reflexes were good enough to catch the jar that had jumped out of his hands in flight, preventing it from crashing.

"From your reaction, I'd say you know what book I mean. Do you have it here?"

"Yes, it's hidden. Wait a minute."

Diego took a ladder and climbed up one of the shelves, put several books aside and discovered a double bottom from which he took out a small book with blue covers.

"Here it is."

"It's in French," Don Alejandro said as soon as he opened it. "And it has an inscription. Who is Francisca?"

"I don't think it was published in Spain. And Francisca gave me the book."

"She gave it to you. I understand. She wouldn't be married." he said suspiciously as he turned the pages.

"She was a widow. No, don't turn the book, that illustration goes like this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite. That's not the floor over there, that's a wall."

"Can that be done?"

"Well, it depends... if she doesn't weigh much... but not for long either."

"Yeah. How about this? Is this her leg?"

"No, it´s him. Her leg is this one. I'm certainly not that flexible." He turned the page. "But Victoria is." he mumbled.

Don Alejandro turned another page. Diego smiled mischievously and cleared his throat to conceal a chuckle. Don Alejandro looked at him sideways and closed the book.

Diego looked at him with an amused expression. "If you want, I can lend it to you. And if you have any doubts... you'd better ask Carmen."

Don Alejandro stared at him. "Do you suggest I read it with her?"

"She speaks French and she's already seen it. Victoria asked me and they were talking about it. Then Victoria explained me a couple of things that I didn´t know," he smiled again.

"Victoria has seen it? And found the inscription?"

"I'm afraid so. The truth is that I hadn't looked at it for years and I had forgotten it was there, so at first I didn't know why she was so angry. It was the night she sent me to sleep in the guest room."

"That's why she was yelling at you. But in the end you went to your room."

"It's just that she kept the book and after a while she changed her mind, when she got to page 38, if I remember correctly."

"So Carmen has read it too. That explains last night."

"Did you pull a muscle in your back?"

"Better not to ask."

"It's a deal. Wait, don't forget the liniment."

"Yeah, I think I'm going to need it."

"Hide the book, don't let Felipe see it."

"You're right. Don't worry, I'll hide it well. I don't want Adela to find it when she's cleaning the room either."


	24. Damnation

**Chapter 24. Damnation.**

The tallow candle gave off a very weak light and filled the prison cell with an unpleasant smell that made her cough worse, but she was too concentrated to notice.

Pale and dishevelled, the only thing that seemed to have life in her withered face were her eyes, red and full of fanatical determination. Carefully, she stroked the black hen's egg that she hid among her clothes, soft and warm. For nearly three weeks she had protected it with dedication, hoping to succeed this time. She was sure the little chick was alive.

In the flickering light of the candle, she used a stick with a charred tip to draw a symbol on the Bible leaf that she had managed to steal from the prison chapel. The passage of the Apocalypse she was writing on was the right one for her purposes.

The diabolic symbol burned in her mind and threatened to destroy what little sanity she had left, but her hatred was more intense than her fear and she managed to finish it.

She drew a knife made of copper from the waist of her tattered skirt. It had cost her promises and threats to get it, but finally one of her former accomplices had managed to get it into the prison among the kitchen supplies. She didn't care if the man kept all her material possessions, she didn't expect to get out of prison alive. All she had left was revenge.

As she recited a litany in an ancient and forbidden language she held the knife to her arm. Her voice did not falter as she cut herself and dropped her own blood on the paper. She carefully placed the egg next to the symbol, ready to open it and sacrifice the small creature it contained as soon as the apparition she was invoking manifested. It was a very meager sacrifice for a demon, but she hoped it would be enough for the entity she had summoned. She closed her eyes and saw in her mind the door that would bring the creature she wanted to deal with. She repeated the ritual a third time, and felt the door become clearer.

The door was already summoned, now all that remained was to wait. She looked up for a moment and saw a shadow moving near the back wall. She thought it was a rat, but as she focused her eyes, she realized it was a fox that showed its teeth before licking its muzzle.

"Where are you, you cursed fox?" she hissed.

At last she saw him, a masked figure standing by the cell door. Looking up at him from the ground, he seemed even taller than he really was.

"I'm not impressed with your tricks, de la Vega. I know them all, and many more than you would not dare to use."

"I'm not like you, what I have is enough for me."

"You say it as if you have little. Lucky boy. You should have been mine, and given me the power. I would have taught you to do things you never even dreamed possible. Your brother was a poor imitation, only had a pale reflection of your gifts. I should have known better. The ghost we questioned said to take her eldest son, but ghosts always try to deceive their masters, so he spoke in Latin, to confuse us."

"Gilberto was my mother's firstborn. You said he was born before me."

"Yes, he was born first, but I failed because in Latin primogenitum does not refer to the first to be born, but to the first to be conceived. I had to perform a ritual to make sure I was carrying the right baby, but your father was suspicious of me and the woman who was watching me wasn't going to be back long, so I didn't remember in time and ran off with him."

Diego looked at her coldly. "For a while I thought you were crazy, but it's worse. You're corrupted to the core."

"No doubt you're done with me, but there's still time for me to get even. The door has been summoned, and the creature that will enter will destroy your veil. It will track you down and hunt you wherever you are. This time I will not fail, everyone will know who you are, and you will hang with your father. They will have to wait for your wife to give birth to your son, but eventually she will end up on the gallows."

"I don't understand that you hate Victoria, too. You don't even know her. Hating so many people has to be exhausting."

"My vengeance shall be upon you all. Your son will put his gifts in the service of my lord, and the wolf-eyed harlot will be executed as well."

Diego moved, surprised by that last statement. "Do you know Doña Carmen?"

"If you try to get close, I'll crush the egg and with it the chicken inside. It's better that the sacrifice be made with the hellhound here, but it will be enough. You won't be able to stop it."

"I wasn't going to try."

"You think you're more powerful than him?"

"No, but I beg you to stop this madness now that there is still time. Sometimes invocations don't go the way you expect, I tell you from experience." (1)

They both saw in their minds that the door she had summoned was beginning to move.

"As I told you before, it's too late. Your damnation is near," she said with a mixture of hatred and triumph.

"Someone's damnation, anyway." The serenity in his voice sent a chill down her spine.

The door began to open, and as it did so, a white light filtered through the slot, increasing in intensity.

"It can't be." Ines Risendo rasped. She looked at the sheet of paper in front of her and saw that it was a white paper which contained only a five-pointed star and a capital A letter. Horrified, she looked again at the door that had already opened wide, revealing a figure in armor with a huge sword in her hand. She looked up at Diego in awe.

"You shouldn't have closed your eyes when you made that last call," Diego said almost with compassion in his voice.

The avenging angel approached the terrified woman and pierced her chest with her sword. She fell to the ground, although she had no visible wound, her eyes were empty.

"Is she dead?" Diego asked in a hoarse voice.

"Not yet, but her soul is no longer chained to her body and will soon expire. You'd better get out of here before the demon she made a deal with comes to claim her. It's not going to be pretty."

Diego picked up the paper from the floor and after some thought he picked up the egg as well.

"Don't tell me you're going to save the chick too," said the angel.

"It's a shame to leave it here and let it die of cold. I can go to the pen that one of the prison guards has in the area where they live and leave it in one of the nests."

"You know It'll most likely end up in a casserole."

"Well, I suppose so, but at least its death will come in handy for someone."

They left the cell and Diego locked it again using a lock pick. When they reached the prison yard, he hid in the shadows and turned to her.

"Thank you for coming, Agueda."

"You know you can count on me, even though I seem to remember somebody warned you not to do anything like that again."

"I know, but it's not the same. In this case it was a hellhound, not a demon lord."

"That's your excuse, that it was just a dog? That hound could have given you a lot of trouble."

"That's why I couldn't let it loose, it wanted to expose me in front of my enemies."

"Come on, you don't think a two-bit creature could destroy your veil. You inherited it from your grandmother, it is reinforced by the prayers of 999 nuns and blessed by St. Michael the Archangel. It takes a lot more than a crazy witch to take it off. She's been trying for quite some time, creating all sorts of problems for you. She even sent Doña Carmen, and she failed."

"She sent her to reveal my secret?"

"Yes, officially her soul was doomed, so Ines and her demon lord thought she'd sell you out for the reward."

"Does Carmen know?"

"No, they influenced her without her knowing what was going on."

"So why didn't it work?"

"Because she's not what they thought, of course, but basically what happened was that Victoria didn't judge her, she trusted her and they became friends."

Diego smiled, proud of his wife, but something was bothering him. "Can they use her against me again?"

"Of course not, they lost the game and now her soul is free of the burden it carried. They can no longer manipulate her."

"Did you make a bet?"

"To some extent, but it's complicated, more like a game of chess."

"And de Soto is one of those involved?"

"Well, yes, without you suspecting, the ghost of Luis Ramon was influencing him, but he ran out of time to stay here, and now it's my turn."

A suspicion arose in Diego's mind. "Did anyone help my father with the story he told?"

"Luis Ramón influenced one person, Don Raimundo, so I was able to influence another. Actually, your father was willing to help, so I just had to inspire him a little bit with the details. But don't keep asking, now I can't tell you anything else, because if I give you too much information they will be able to do the same with someone else. If another threat comes up you can ask me."

"Can I really? I thought angels couldn't be summoned. I've only found rituals to call out demons."

"It's not an invocation as such, it won't force me to go, just ask me, and if I can, I will. Let's change the topic. Congratulations on your wedding, your mother and I were there both times, your father-in-law left after the second one, because he couldn't attend the first one. Beautiful ceremonies. I told you she would forgive your follies."

"It's true, you told me. I didn't remember. But no ghost is supposed to enter the estate or the cave without my permission."

"Don't worry, the exile is well done, remember I'm not a ghost, and your mother lived in that house, so she doesn't need anyone's permission to enter. I must go now."

"I know. Thanks again. For everything."

Agueda drew her huge sword to greet him and Diego returned the gesture with a smile.

"I still think that your sword is too big and old-fashioned," he added.

"You'll see that you'll change your mind when they offer you one," Agueda laughed just before she disappeared.

zzZzz

After attending to Tornado and changing his clothes, Diego entered his room without making any noise, trying not to wake Victoria, but she turned to him and stood up.

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"You know I can't sleep well when you go out."

"I wish I could have prevented it, but in the dream I had, your father told me clearly that there was an outside influence trying to hurt us."

"Was it that awful woman?"

"Yes, but we don't have to worry about her anymore."

"Is she dead?" said Victoria in a distraught voice.

Diego nodded. "She made a summoning that went wrong. In any case she was ill, she didn't have much time left."

"Will more like her come?"

"I don't believe it, she tried to reveal my secret but she couldn't. What she did tonight was one last desperate attempt."

"Then we're safe."

"I think so, but if you want I'll do a ritual to make sure. I don't want you to worry about anything. It's important for you to get plenty of rest."

Victoria placed her hand on her swollen belly and nodded. "Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something from me?"

Diego sighed. "It's just something that woman said, about the baby, but maybe it's not true."

"You think she was lying?"

"Probably not."

"Then I want to know what she said."

"It's all right. She said our baby's a boy, and he'll inherit my skills."

Victoria frowned slightly. "Your skills? That ability of yours to sneak around, too?"

"It's quite possible."

"So what are we going to do? I won't be able to watch him."

"Carmen will always be able to see him."

"But she can't take care of him all the time."

"Well, I can train a golden-eyed familiar to help us. Would you prefer a dog or a cat?"

zzZzz

11 years later.

That year had been drier than usual, and the wind was raising clouds of dust. Antonio arrived at his friend Pedro's farm and was offered something to drink. In the yard, several hens were digging and pecking at the ground, under the attentive gaze of a slightly plucked black rooster.

"Do you still have that old rooster?"

"Yeah, he's the best I've ever had."

"Come on, it's not even big. It's just a lousy rooster."

The rooster turned his head sharply and looked at him, and Antonio saw that his eyes lit up like embers.

"Por todos los santos! What was that?"

"You shouldn't insult him, he's an exceptional animal. He's the best cockfighting rooster I've ever seen. Even as a chick, he kept adult roosters at bay. Besides, when the others saw him, they bet against me trusting that their roosters would win him easily. With what I've earned from him I was able to retire from prison work and buy this farm. I've even paid for my children's studies."

"But... his eyes."

"Yes, he does when he's angry. That's why I called him Diablo."

Fin

**Author's notes.**

(1) See "The Missing Name" chapter 10.

Thank you for reading, and especially if you have included a comment. I'm going to miss this story, which I started to publish on Halloween 2019, although by then I had been working on it for a few months. I can still enjoy the main characters in other fanfics, but the fox spiritual guide and Doña Carmen will not be there, and it will not be the same.

Thanks to kasiaeliza for playing the beta, and keeping the pronouns from being wrong all the time.


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